BRUNSWICK COUNTY – A recent state inspection faulted Leland Fire/Rescue for failing to meet minimum response requirements.
Because of the failure, the department did not meet the requirements for a rated and certified department, according to a May 17 letter from the state fire marshal s office.
Leland Fire/Rescue Chief John Grimes said the response failure stems from four specific calls out of more than 1,800 total fire calls in 2015.
In two cases, Grimes said the department failed to have the required four firefighters on an engine. (Three firefighters responded in both of the calls.) Grimes said the other two cases were documentation issues.
Although it is important to ensure a minimum of four people are available on an engine, Grimes said the larger issues are response times with an adequate number of staff to fight the fires.
“We do need more paid staff and we do need better response times to portions of our district,” Grimes said. The department has applied for a grant to cover the cost of additional paid positions over two years.
A nonprofit, Leland Fire/Rescue covers 64 square miles in northern Brunswick County, including Leland and Belville, providing service to more than 26,000 people, Grimes said. Fire calls for service have steadily increased over the past five years due to population growth.
The department has 20 full-time employees, four of which are administrative. Additionally, it has 80 volunteers split between firefighters and paramedics. During the past four years, the department has recorded roughly 25,000 volunteer hours annually, Grimes said.
Fire departments are classified on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the best. A lower classification can mean better insurance rates for homes and businesses.
Leland Fire/Rescue, which is rated a 6, has 12 months to meet the state requirements, which, if left uncorrected, would put its districts as a class 10.
“I’m extremely confident that that is not going to happen,” Grimes said.
The state inspection was prompted by a written complaint, said Colin Day, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Insurance. Grimes said the complaint stemmed from a concern about response times.
Reporter Julian March can be reached at 910-343-2099 or Julian.March@StarNewsOnline.com
