RALEIGH — Lumberton businesses could get a break soon on their insurance premiums now that the Lumberton Fire Department has been awarded a higher rating by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The fire department’s rating went from 3 to 2 after being inspected by officials with the office, a state Department of Insurance division. The new rating is effective June 1.

The inspection took place in October, Fire Chief Paul Ivey said Monday. The fire department then had to wait for the new grade, which is based on a rating system of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best.

The new rating means local businesses and industries are eligible for lower insurance premiums as of June 1, he said. But that depends on a number of factors, including whether or not the insurance policy is due for re-evaluation and the insurance carriers’ policies.

“I would suggest they contact their insurance provider,” Ivey said.

The new rating does not affect insurance for residential property owners, he said. Homeowners are affected only when there is a change in ratings from 10 to 6.

“They try to do it every four years, but it’s been at least 10 years since our last inspection,” Ivey said.

The new ratings are effective on new and renewed insurance policies on or after June 1, said Barry Smith, assistant director of Public Information at the Department if Insurance. Each point improvement generally represents an average 8.5% decrease for business and commercial insurance. But the actual amount can vary.

What it means for residential property owners is that the Lumberton Fire Department is capable of a quicker response in an emergency and is better equipped to deal with the emergency, Smith said.

Smith could not provide inspection and rating information related to other fire districts in Robeson County.

State law requires Office of the State Fire Marshal to inspect departments serving districts with 100,000 people or less, which makes up all but 12 of the state’s 1,523 fire districts.