Somerset’s fire protection rating improves

March 06-- Mar. 6--SOMERSET -- The town's ISO rating has been decreased from a four to a three, which Fire Chief Scott Jepson said is good news for the town because it means insurance companies will look at Somerset's fire protection service more favorably, which he said may lead to reductions in insurance rates for some businesses.

Chief Jepson said one of the reasons for the town receiving a better fire protection rating has to do with improvements in the communication area, which was done by getting additional laptop computers for vehicles. Chief Jepson said another reason for the better fire protection rating has to do with the department having more manpower. He said the four additional firefighters/paramedics that the department recently hired, who are mostly being paid for with grant money, helped the rating.

The last time the town was up to have its fire protection service rated, Chief Jepson said the town came close to getting a higher rating, but just missed it.

"We're proud to be able to accomplish that and hopefully save some money for our businesses," Chief Jepson said.

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