Share on Facebook
{mosimage}The growth of the County has increased call volumes to 911, along with increased training and education requirements for dispatchers. This places a burden on the volunteer system for both EMS and fire departments. DeWayne West, Director of Emergency Services for Johnston County, states that main challenges include developing means to attract qualified volunteers and paid personnel.
Approximately half of the County's volunteer fire departments are employing part-time staff to maintain their equipment, complete administrative matters, and respond to daytime calls.Johnston County contracts with eight EMS Providers to provide services for the entire county, funded by Ad Valorem taxes, which total $2.3 million. They also receive additional funding through call billing, donations, and fundraisers.
County fire departments are funded through fundraising projects and fire district taxes; which are property taxes assessed specifically for each fire district and used solely for providing fire protection.
So how many calls does the County receive?
In a six-month period, Johnston County EMS received a total of 10,613 calls. In the same period of time, Johnston County fire departments received a total of 6,260 calls.
Breakdown by Station
January 1 - June 31, 2007
| STATION |
FIRE |
|
| 50/210 |
217 |
975 |
| Clayton 1 |
386 |
1,920 |
| Clayton 2 |
268 |
782 |
| 683 |
217 | |
| 187 |
1,181 | |
| 612 |
1,821 | |
| Total for County |
6,260 |
10,613 |
Fire Accreditation and Your Insurance Rates
{mosimage}Fire accreditation has received much attention in the last few years, due to a station's rating affecting homeowners insurance premiums. Accreditation measures the effectiveness and efficiency of a fire department by determining community risks and fire safety needs. The evaluation is conducted by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and is based on criteria such as:
- how well the department receives fire alarms and dispatches its resources,
- the number of engine companies and their distribution,
- and whether the community has a sufficient water supply.
ISO classifies a community's ability to fight fire, which aids insurance companies to determine premium rates for homeowners. In North Carolina, the State Fire Marshal conducts an inspection every five years to rate a community's fire protection level. A rating of 1 indicates the highest level of fire protection and a rating of 10 indicates no fire protection available. You can see Johnston County's ISO ratings here: http://johnstonnc.com/mainpage.cfm?category_level_id=642&content_id=768
Your thoughts? Join in on the discussion here.