ELLERBE — Homeowners within five miles of the Mountain Creek Volunteer Fire Department should soon see their insurance bills decrease.
Brian Cox, an inspector with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, presented the department’s new Insurance Services Office rating of 6/9E during a special meeting Thursday evening.
Departments are rated on a scale of 10, being the lowest, and 1, being the best. Cox previously told the RO that the majority of rural departments’ ratings are between 4 and 6.
Joining the members of Mountain Creek were representatives of the Derby, Hoffman, Northside and Cordova fire departments, as well as from Richmond County Emergency Services and County Fire Marshal Joe Cahoon.
Chief Kenny McFayden kept the improved rating a secret from the rest of the department for about two weeks.
Brian Cox, an inspector with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, explains some of the scoring for the Mountain Creek Fire Department.
Cox said he told McFayden around five years ago that a higher rating was attainable with “just a little bit of work.”
“The biggest thing that this does for this community is the taxpayers (are) going to really see a difference on their homeowner’s insurance,” Cox said, adding that the rating goes into effect Aug. 1. “Once the homeowners in this community find out, they’re going to be very appreciative of this fire department, the work y’all put in to make this happen.”
Cox added that homeowners in the district should call their insurance companies to make sure they’re aware of the new rating.
The department, which serves 100 square miles in northwestern Richmond County, is just a few points away from obtaining a Class 5 rating, according to Cox.
To help with increasing the rating, Cox offered several suggestions, including: making sure at least engines respond to every structure fire; and increasing training of the firefighters.
Mountain Creek has 18 firemen on the roster, as well as three junior firefighters.
The biggest challenge for both the Mountain Creek and Derby departments is access to water, with Cox noting that there aren’t a lot of hydrants in the area.
Cox advised all the departments in the meeting to make sure their tankers hold at least 2,000 gallons, adding that it would be “a tremendous” help to even the mutual aid departments.
Mountain Creek has mutual aid agreements with the Ellerbe, Derby, Mount Gilead and Pekin departments.
“Other than that, they did an awesome job,” Cox said.
If the department were to add another station or be able to get more hydrants installed, Cox said it should be able to obtain a Class 5.
Cox also praised the county’s emergency communications center, saying it’s one of the top 10 in the state, scoring a 9.7 out of 10.
“That is an awesome grade,” Cox said, adding that the state average is around 8.8.
The inspector said that there are fewer than 100 Class 9 departments left in the state — with Derby being one of them.
Cox’s inspection district stretches from the Virginia border to the South Carolina line and includes Richmond, Anson, Moore, Montgomery, Lee, Harnett, Chatham, Durham, Orange Alamance, Guilford, Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Vance and Granville counties.
He said there are also a few in Anson and Montgomery counties.
The East Rockingham Fire Department was upgraded to a 4/9E in October 2025. The Rockingham Fire Department, of the two paid departments in the county, was awarded a Class 2 rating in 2022.
Hamlet and Hoffman both have ratings of 4/9E; and Northside, Cordova and Ellerbe are rated at 5/9E.
Cordova is currently constructing a substation on U.S. 74 Business and the Hamlet Fire Department will have a new substation courtesy of Amazon.
“As a county, and the departments, we’ve grown a lot in the last five years,” Emergency Services Director Bob Smith said to McFayden. “...You’ve got the support … Tonight's a testament to that.
“This county is starting to pull together and really do some good things.”
