BAZETTA, Ohio (WKBN) – Residents and businesses in Bazetta Township may soon see a decrease in their property insurance costs, following an upgrade to the local fire department’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. The improved rating, effective June 1, could translate to lower premiums for property owners.
“That’s a good thing I hope ’cause the reason why is vets and everybody else of retirement age -I’m 83 years old – need some breaks somewhere,” said Larlun Williams, a Bazetta homeowner.
The fire department’s ISO rating was recently upgraded from a Class 3 to a Class 2. This places the department among approximately 118 others in the state to achieve this ranking. The ISO ratings are crucial as they evaluate a fire department’s infrastructure as well as their ability to respond to emergency situations. The reviews, conducted every five years, assess the fire department’s equipment, personnel, training, water supply system, and communication capabilities.
“It’s a big deal,” said Bazetta firefighter Rob Wasser of the change. Factors contributing to the improved score included enhanced accessibility, the addition of new fire hydrants due to a recent water line project, that added about two dozen new fire hydrants, and improvements to the fire department’s access road to Elm Road. “You figure that that cuts out two and a half to three minutes of response time which is significant; fire doubles in size every minute,” Wasser said. Fire departments are directly evaluated based on response times and available water sources. “Firefighters say the improved rating is something they’re proud of. “Every day that we come to work this is what we’re all about — the community and improving our department, our personnel which ultimately benefits the community and everyone that lives here as well as the businesses that are here,”” said Wasser.
