Pace Fire’s insurance ranking improves

Jan. 05--PACE -- Pace Fire Rescue District on March 1 will receive a new fire protection rating from the Insurance Services Office, a national insurance industry risk rating and assessment service. Pace Fire's rating will improve from a Class 6/9 to a Class 4/4x.

ISO ratings play a role in insurance companies' underwriting process. Most major U.S. insurers use them to help determine what coverage to offer or premiums to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

ISO rates fire departments on a scale of 1 to 10, with an ISO class 1 rating considered the most effective fire defense system, from an insurance analysis perspective, with a Class 10 rating considered the least effective.

"We are very pleased that our rating has improved by two classes," Chief Robbie Whitfield said. "Not only does this mean our level of fire protection service has improved but it could also earn lower property insurance rates for home and business owners within the Pace Fire Rescue District."

The second number for the Pace district's split classification has to do with the water system, according to Whitfield.

"The nine is for the water system," he said, "which is on our northern end of the district."

The ISO bases ratings on surveying and inspecting all aspects of a fire department's achievements since January 2013, its last review.

ISO officials consider 911 communications and the fire hydrant water supply and other factors of quality fire and rescue service in the rating process.

"There are things we know we need to do," Whitfield said. "In the past, we were limited on man power. We're not 100 percent at [the rate the county is] growing with business and residents. We're moving in the right direction but we're understaffed now."

To help, Whitfield wants to fully man the Pea Ridge station.

"We need 12 [firefighters] total," he said. "We need a minimum of nine right now ... that would be moving three from this station to make the 12."

The station itself needs updating, too. It lacks bathrooms, Whitfield said.

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