Glasgow Fire Department receives Class 2 Insurance Services Organization classification

Aug. 02--GLASGOW -- The Glasgow Fire Department has been awarded a new Public Protection Classification that could lower insurance premiums on homes in the city of Glasgow.

The Insurance Services Organization collects data on fire departments across the nation to report up-to-date information about first protection services.

According to their website, ISO aims "to help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties, insurance companies need reliable, up-to-date information about a community's fire-protection services. ISO provides that information through the Public Protection Classification program."

The GFD went from a Class 3 to a Class 2, which GFD Chief Tony Atwood said is a very good thing. The ISO is the grading schedule for the nation, and that is what a lot of insurance companies use as their benchmark for the premium costs. The higher the classification, the more expensive the premium cost, Atwood said.

"I don't know how much, but there should be a savings if that insurance company uses that grading schedule," Atwood said. "It generally doesn't go into effect for a couple of months because they have to notify all of the companies."

Atwood advised the citizens of Glasgow who are renewing their home insurance to check and make sure their insurance company understands that Glasgow has been reclassified to an ISO Class 2.

Atwood said he learned of the classification change on Thursday, and the entire department was thrilled and high-fiving and congratulating one another.

"This is history making for the city of Glasgow and the Glasgow Fire Department," Atwood said. "I think this is a monumental moment. I don't know that this department has ever been a Class 2, ever."

There are only 750 fire departments out of 49,000 that the ISO evaluates in the nation that have a Class 2 certification, Atwood said.

Glasgow Mayor Rhonda Trautman said out of 1,141 fire departments in the commonwealth, only 18 have a Class 2 rating, or higher so that "puts our ISO rating in the top one percent of the nation, so that means a lot."

Trautman attributed this ISO rating to the efforts of Glasgow Water Company for upgrades they have been doing and monitoring the water delivery systems, to the fire department for all of the changes they have made and the hard work they do every day, and to the 911 emergency call center.

"This is a positive reflection on the efforts these three groups have made working together," Trautman said. "It's a great compliment on how these agencies are working together, sharing information and cooperating."

With all this success, Atwood said he does not take the credit, that he owes it to his staff and all of the people that surround him and make the day-to-day operations of the GFD.

"This came about with a lot of hard work and I got a lot of people to thank behind the scenes," he said. "There are a lot of players involved who without their input this would not be possible."

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