Smithville ISO Classification Upgraded

Smithville Fire Chief Charlie Parker shared some good news with the mayor and aldermen Monday night.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is upgrading the City of Smithville’s Public Protection Classification rating from a Class 6 to a Class 5/5x effective this summer which could result in lower homeowners insurance premiums for some families. This is the second ISO rating upgrade for the city within the last six years. In 2009, the rating improved from a Class 7 to Class 6.
According to Chief Parker, ISO collects and evaluates information from communities on their fire suppression capabilities. The information is analyzed using a Fire Suppression Rating Schedule and then assigns a Public Protection Classification number
“I just wanted to let the board and the citizens know that we received our notice from the ISO a couple of weeks ago that our new Public Protection Classification ISO rating is being lowered. We’re going from a Class 6 down to a Class 5/5x which is a new split classification they are doing but it is good news that we are getting our ISO lowered. That does mean that we are making some progress in trying to continue to lower the rate,” said Chief Parker.
As the new classification goes into effect, Chief Parker said homeowners are encouraged to check with their insurance carriers to find out if this new ISO rating will reduce their insurance premiums. ” Hopefully this will help our citizens get some lower (insurance) rates (premiums) depending upon which company they have. Different companies do different things. Not all companies will go just by the ISO rating. But I have talked to ISO and most insurance companies will purchase information from ISO so they (insurance companies) use it somewhere in their formula. They may not use it here locally but in the corporate offices they use that information. It will eventually lower some rates even if it doesn’t directly do so in the first little bit (right away). Some insurance companies will drop (premiums) automatically when the (ISO) rate does. Others may take longer but as our classification gets lower its just going to help the whole fire protection classification for the city. As the new classification takes effect probably in about a month, citizens should check with their insurance companies. The may get (qualify for) lower premiums,” said Chief Parker.
In recent years the Smithville Fire Department has made improvements in equipment and services including the addition of a ladder truck. Chief Parker said more improvements are planned. “We have started working, even as early as last year, on some things to improve including training to get it (ISO) rating even lower”.