WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The quality of a city’s fire rescue department determines how much its residents pay for fire insurance. Residents of West Palm Beach can thank their fire rescue service, which has scored a two for the second time in recent years.
According to new ratings from an independent insurance rating agency, West Palm Beach Fire Rescue, on a scale of one to ten (with one being the best rating possible,) has been rated a two. And that’s good news for residents’ property insurance rates.
The rating is from ISO (Insurance Services Office), which rates fire departments to help insurance companies determine how much to charge residents for property insurance. WPB Fire Chief Dan Hanes explained that about 50,000 fire departments are rated by ISO. Only 132 out of 50,000 received a rating of one; and 1,060 fire departments out of 50,000 received a two rating. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment and something the community should be very proud of,” said West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Chief Dan Hanes. “It means our residents will not see a drastic increase in their fire insurance costs due to the rating.” West Palm Beach, which gets rated every four years, got a two rating the last time ISO was in town. Chief Hanes says bumping up to a one rating, meaning a drop in people’s insurance rates, is definitely within reach.
“We are five points away from being a class one. [The areas that need to be changed to get a rating of one] are either areas that the Fire Department has already made changes and corrections in or that we are able to accomplish those in the next couple of years.”
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