After more than a year of planning, the Corinth Holders Fire Department recently underwent an inspection and received a new and improved fire district rating.
Corinth Holders Fire Chief Larry Woodard said the rating, which takes effect on March 1, 2018, should help lower homeowners insurance premiums for most of the residents in the 34 square mile district.
The Corinth Holders Fire Department was chartered in March 1956 and was the second rural fire department chartered in Johnston County, following the Brogden Fire Department which was first rural department.
Corinth Holders now has 30 volunteer members and 6 part-time employees that protect 75.5 road miles and approximately 6,000 people in the northern Johnston County community with 6 trucks including 4 pumper tankers.
“It was started a year ago, so it was a year in planning and work getting ready,” Chief Woodard told WTSB News describing the process for the recent fire inspection. “Our operations hasn’t really changed. We just had to start documenting everything we did and all the training was up to par by state standards.”
Beginning next March, the fire rating will be lowered from a Class 9 district to a Class 4.
“A class six is where homeowners get their break,” Chief Woodard explained. “All homeowners should see a significant decrease in their homeowners insurance and by us being a class 4, if any commercial growth comes, they will see a lower fire insurance rating as well.”
A small section of Mudham Road is not within a 5 mile radius of the Corinth Holders Fire Department. A small number of homes on Mudham Road outside the 5 mile radius will still fall under the Class 9 rating but only because of their distance from the fire station.
In a Nov. 14th letter to the Corinth Holders Fire Department, NC Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey wrote, “I’d like to congratulate Chief Woodard for the department’s performance and for the hard work of all the department members. The citizens (of Corinth Holders) should rest easy knowing they have a fine group of firefighters protecting them and their property in case of an emergency.”
