Fire district receives lowered ISO rating; could save taxpayers money [The Destin Log, Fla.]

Feb. 15--Thanks to the Destin Fire Control District's lowered Insurance Services Office rating, residents and businesses with fire insurance could see a reduction in their rates.

"This is huge for us in this economy," Fire Chief Kevin Sasser told The Log Monday. "This shows people that the fire department serving them was rated as very proficient in what they do."

On a scale of 1-10 (the lower the number the better rating), the district received a 3 on their Public Protection Classification rating. The district was previously rated at a 4 when the ratings were issued in 2000.

This is the lowest rating the district has received since it was formed in 1962.

The ISO's rating is used by insurance companies in marketing, underwriting and to help establish premiums for homeowners and entities who purchase commercial fire insurance. The ISO has rated more than 47,000 fire departments nationwide, according to the fire district, and Destin's newest rating places them in the top 5 percent of all rated departments.

While the average fire insurance policy is less than $1,000 a year, Sasser told The Log that any reduction in someone's premium goes a long way.

"We continue to offer the same levels of service, despite shrinking budgets," he said. "In these difficult economic times, we are proud to say we were able to lower our ISO... we hope the new rating will have a positive effect in lowering our citizen's insurance premiums."

The fire district was rated on everything from their dispatch and response times to their inspection records, water systems and training hours. According to the ISO's website, www.iso.com, 40 percent of the grading is based on the community's water supply, which in Destin's case would be Destin Water Users.

This part of the survey focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression beyond daily maximum consumption. The ISO rates all components of the water supply system, including pumps, storage, and filtration.

Destin Water Users General Manager Richard Griswold says the ISO process is all about the community working together to achieve a common goal.

"We understand this is a big deal for the community," Griswold said. "This is a very important process and we have a very aggressive program in place to keep our fire hydrants in good working order."

The district's lowered ISO rating went into effect Feb. 1.

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