By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – The Alabaster Fire Department recently became one of only two-dozen departments in Alabama to achieve the second-highest Insurance Services Office rating, and city homeowners may soon see a decrease in their insurance as a result.

On Dec. 5, Alabaster Fire Chief Jim Golden said the department was notified it had achieved an ISO rating of two after the agency recently completed an in-depth evaluation of the department.

“They go to all fire departments to assess the level of fire protection,” Golden told City Council members during a Dec. 7 work session. “They then assign a protection classification ranging from one to 10, with one being the best and 10 being basically a lack of fire protection.”

The department’s last ISO evaluation came in 2004, at which time the city received an ISO rating of four. After ISO evaluated the department last May, it raised the department’s rating significantly.

“We got the news last Saturday that we are now a Class 2 fire department,” Golden said, noting Montgomery currently is the only Class 1 fire department in Alabama. “There are about 900 fire departments in Alabama, and less than 25 are Class 2. This is something we are really proud of.”

Golden said “virtually all” insurance companies use a city’s fire protection rating when calculating homeowners’ insurance rates, and said Alabaster’s new Class 2 rating will go into effect on March 1, 2016.

“On the residential side, it may be about a 3 to 5 percent savings, and on the commercial side, it should be about 6 to 8 percent. Obviously, those are estimates,” Golden said. “It’s going to go into the database on March 1. What will happen is when insurance agents run your address, the new ISO rating will show up.”

Golden said the department is pleased with the Class 2 rating, but said the city’s firefighters are working to obtain an even higher mark.

This is really a direct result of the hard work of the firefighters and the commitment (the City Council) has shown to public safety,” Golden said. “While a two is good, we want to be better than good.”