Holly Springs, NC, Sep. 3, 2026 — Holly Springs Fire Rescue has retained its Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), the highest rating available under the system used to evaluate fire protection capabilities in communities across the country.
Fire Chief LeRoy Smith presented the results to the Holly Springs Town Council on September 1st, telling council members that roughly 388 of more than 40,000 fire departments nationwide have achieved the Class 1 designation.
The rating can affect more than the department’s standing among its peers. Insurance companies may use ISO ratings when setting property insurance rates, meaning a strong rating can help homeowners and businesses receive more favorable premiums, depending on the insurer and policy.
Holly Springs received 49.03 of 50 possible points for the fire department portion of this year’s evaluation. Smith said the town’s overall evaluation score was 100.6, up from 96 when it was last inspected in 2018. He compared the result to earning extra credit on a school grading scale, although that is his characterization rather than a separate ISO designation.
The inspection was conducted in May after originally being scheduled for March. State Department of Insurance evaluators spent a week in Holly Springs reviewing the town’s fire protection capabilities before the findings were submitted to ISO for validation.
The review came as Holly Springs continues to grow both in population and in the complexity of the properties firefighters are responsible for protecting. The town has grown from about 36,500 residents at the time of the 2018 inspection to nearly 52,000 today.
Smith also pointed to the growth of large industrial and institutional facilities, including Fujifilm, Amgen and UNC Rex, as well as Genentech’s planned Holly Springs operation. Those facilities place different demands on fire protection and the town’s water infrastructure than traditional residential and commercial development.
The Class 1 rating is not based solely on the fire department. Town Manager Randy Harrington said fire department capabilities account for 50% of the evaluation, while the water system accounts for 40% and emergency communications make up the remaining 10%.
That made the inspection a townwide effort. Evaluators examined water availability for some of Holly Springs’ larger buildings, performed hydraulic studies and tested fire hydrant pressure as part of the review. Utilities and infrastructure employees therefore played a direct role in the final rating alongside Fire Rescue and emergency communications personnel.
Maintaining that performance as Holly Springs continues to develop will require additional investment, particularly in the town’s water system, Smith said. Larger residential developments and industrial facilities increase the amount of water that must be available for firefighting and place additional demands on the system.
“Class 1’s the rating, but readiness is our real accomplishment,” Smith told council.
Holly Springs Fire Rescue will next turn its attention to the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The department plans to hold a memorial service Friday morning, September 11th, at Fire Station 1, which houses a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center’s North Tower.