Local business owners could see as much as a nine-percent drop in insurance premiums in Starkville thanks in part to the city’s fire department, which this year received the best fire protection rating it has ever had.
The newly acquired Class 4 rating is the first improvement on the protection rating since Starkville achieved a Class 5 rating in the mid 1980s. The Mississippi State Ratings Bureau reviews several protection stipulations and scores each department from 1-to-10. The lower the number, the higher the rating.
SFD Fire Department Chief Rodger Mann addressed the board of aldermen Aug. 21 after the ratings announcement was made and said the SFD will now begin the process of attaining a Class 3 rating. He also pointed to other departments, and said without outside help receiving a Class 4 rating could have taken even longer.
“It was a long process, but we are going to go ahead and start chasing that Class 3,” Mann said. “It’s also important to recognize the water and building departments. They have played such a big role in this process.”
The SFD upgraded fire mains and its elevated water storage, and is in the process of hiring new fire fighters, which addresses some manpower issues the department faced.
Mann said part of the reason it took so long for the city to attain a Class 4 ratings is due to the review process itself.
“The ratings bureau came in this year, but they may not come back till 2016. Unless there is some type of immediate problem, they try to do cycles of four or five years,” he said. “It takes a fair amount of time to address and review the type of problems or deficiencies that the bureau is looking for.”
Though there is still some question as to whether single-family dwellings will receive any benefits from the new classification, Mann said commercial property owners will undoubtedly see a reduction in their fire insurance premiums.
“When you start looking at these large commercial structures, it is going to be a really nice savings for them,” Mann said.
But he added there is still no downside of a city improving its fire protection classification.
“It is an accomplishment for the city, past and former mayors, and past and former boards of aldermen,” Mann said. “It’s just a great bargaining tool for our city.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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