Artesia residents could see less expensive homeowners insurance, thanks to the town’s fire rating improving.
Lowndes County Fire Services Coordinator Sammy Fondren announced at Monday’s board of supervisors meeting that Artesia’s fire rating improved from Class 9 to Class 8.
The Mississippi State Rating Bureau rates fire protection for city and county fire districts on a scale from 1-10, with 1 being the best.
Fondren said Artesia has maintained a Class 9 rating for several years. However, the completion of a new fire station on South Frontage Road and the acquisition of a used fire truck have helped pushed the town to a better rating.
“They dropped from a 9 to an 8 which is real good,” Fondren said. “Residents there should see as much as about an 8 percent reduction on homeowners’ premiums, for those paying.”
The District 5 Volunteer Fire Department provides fire service to Artesia.
Artesia Mayor Jimmy Sanders credited the fire service’s work — particularly that of the volunteers who serve the area — for improving the town’s fire protection.
“This is a good thing for the homeowners,” Sanders said. “It’s a wonderful thing for the homeowners because our rates are going down. We’re just thrilled to be able to go from a 9 to an 8.”
Other fire districts
Fire protection rating varies from district to district in Lowndes County. A range of factors play into a fire protection district’s rating, such as fire stations, local water availability, equipment and manpower.
The Elm Lake district, which is near the Artesia district and stretches to the Lowndes-Oktibbeha County border, already held a Class 8 rating. The more rural areas to the south have worse ratings.
“Everything south, from Gilmer-Wilburn (Road) on south in the District 4 area — all of that is still a Class 10 because it’s rural,” Fondren said. “The infrastructure’s not there, with the exception of Crawford. They are a Class 9.”
Everything east of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway improved from a Class 8 to Class 7 rating two years ago, Fondren said, because of an adjustment in the state bureau’s rating schedule.
As Lowndes County continues to pursue better ratings, Fondren said it’s crucial for the department to continue drawing volunteers.
“The area is growing,” Fondren said. “That helps us and gives us the availability to recruit more people.”
Still, he said volunteer fire services are prone to turnover, which is most evident in the District 2 department. That department, he said, draws volunteers from Columbus Air Force Base, who work for a time but then leave when they’re assigned elsewhere.
He said another challenge, for any volunteer fire service, is less manpower is available during the day than at night or on weekends because volunteers often hold day jobs.
“With it begin a volunteer organization that’s just it — it’s volunteers,” he said. “We always welcome people to join us, even if it’s just for a little while.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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