Residential fire insurance rates for Calera could drop once Issuance Services Office (ISO) officials complete a survey of the Calera Fire Department this week.

Calera Fire Chief Tommy Moon said ISO inspectors visited the city’s fire stations on Monday and were expected to complete their survey of the department on Tuesday.

During Monday night’s Calera City Council meeting, Moon said the inspections went well.

Currently, Calera has an ISO residential rating of five for areas within city limits.

The ISO ratings determine fire insurance rates charged to residents and businesses.

On Monday, Moon said the ISO inspector told him that do residential insurance rates rarely drop once the low rating of five is attained.

However, Moon said he remained hopeful the city could reach a rating of three or four.

Businesses could still benefit from lower ISO ratings, Moon said.

The city conducted hydrant flows on Tuesday as part of the ongoing ISO inspections.

In other news from the Calera City Council:

* Council members approved the purchase of nighttime laser sighting devices for 19 rifles in the Calera Police Department.

Calera Police Chief Jim Finn requested the laser sights following a recent incident.

Finn told council members that police responded to a hostage situation in which a suspect hid in the woods wielding an AR-15 assault rifle equipped with a 200-yard laser scope and four military ammunition cartridges. Finn said the suspect also had an 800-caliber handgun and a sword.

The laser sights will enable police to sight targets up to 300 yards away, Finn said.

&uot;We want the fight to be fair at least,&uot; he said.

* Council members approved the lowest bid for the city’s new garbage truck.

The new truck features an automated side-loading arm that will reduce the number of employees currently used to collect household garbage.

The council will pay for the $238,000 truck from money already included in the budget. Utilities Director David Jones said his department will begin sending fliers to residents to notify them of new collection procedures.

* The Council approved a resolution for Mayor George Roy to ask the attorney general’s opinion about the city supplying water to a subdivision outside city limits.

Calera officials are considering additional water lines to serve a 500-home subdivision on County Road 24 in Montevallo.

* The Council adopted a resolution enabling the city to receive $19,000 from the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Roy said the DOT has held the city’s money for three years.

The money was part of a settlement related to offshore oil and gas wells that is to be distributed to city’s in the state based on population