The following article was submitted by the Walker County commissioner’s office.

Walker County Emergency Services underwent a survey from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). ISO has many functions, one of which is rating fire departments for insurance classifications. ISO rates departments on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is the best and 10 is no fire protection. ISO reviews not only the fire department for response times and staffing but also the 911 dispatch center and the water departments to compile an overall picture of the department’s capability (with response, staffing, dispatching, and water supply).

Walker County Emergency Services is pleased to announce that Walker County’s rating has been reduced to a Class 3/8B rating from a previous rating of 4/9. This rating becomes effective May 1, 2013.

What does this mean for you? Because most insurance companies base their premiums on the ISO class rating of an address, homeowners can expect to see a reduction of their annual premiums. The savings from a Class 4 to 3 is expected to be minimal (averaging less than $100); however, the savings from a Class 9 to 8B is anticipated to be significantly higher (some estimates show as savings as much as $500).

Walker County Emergency Services encourages all homeowners to contact their insurance company to see if they are eligible for premium reduction compliments of this new rating.

Additional information

According to ISO, there are 47,242 registered fire departments in the United States, with 1,998 departments receiving the Class 3 rating. In the state of Georgia, 1,038 fire departments have been rated. Of these, 56 departments have received a Class 3 rating and one has a Class 8B rating. Walker County will become only the second department to receive the 3/8B rating.

Further, the Walker County 911 Center was the first dispatch center to earn the full 10 points during the 2003 rating, a score they maintained in the 2012 rating.

What does this mean for the average homeowner? Based on a wood-frame construction home valued at $150,000, a Class 10 rating would yield an average insurance premium of $2,416, where a Class 3 rating premium would only be $1,041 — a savings of $1,375.

Using this same home, a Class 9 rating would yield an annual premium of $1,903, while a Class 8B would drop the premium to $1,474 — an annual savings of $429.

Using an example of a brick home in north Walker County with an approximate value of $150,000, a Class 9 rating would have a premium of $1,667, while the Class 8B premium would drop to $1,298 — a savings of $369.