Ratings

In case you've ever wondered about the level of services available in a small community on an island, rest assured that we are well taken care of out here. Recently, two of the community services which receive ratings improved those scores.

The island daycare center - Ocracoke Child Care - recently received a 5 (out of 5) rating, an improvement from the completely respectable 4 rating they had held for several years. My understanding is that it is quite difficult to achieve a rating of 5, so this was quite an accomplishment. Since Connor attends there, I can attest to the fact that they do a terrific job teaching all of the children in their care.

The other recent rating improvement was the score of the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department, which went from an 8 rating to a 6 (lower numbers are better in this rating system). I liked this particular improvement very much, as it resulted in a reduction in my homeowners insurance of over $500! (If you live on the island and haven't seen your homeowner's rate lowered, you may need to contact your insurance agent and let him/her know about the fire department rating improvement - they can follow up on whether your rate should be lowered. I had to do that with mine.) From what I've learned, it is really difficult for an all-volunteer fire department to receive a 6 rating, and there are only 2 departments on the Outer Banks which have a better rating, one of which is not all-volunteer, so this was quite an accomplishment, too! Having personally experienced the care and concern shown by our volunteer firefighters, I can attest to this rating, too!

It's good to live in a community where people take good care of each other, and are recognized for doing so. (Well, it would be good even if they weren't recognized, too, of course. But I'm pleased that they are receiving their due.)