Fire ratings improve; Official notice means insurance premiums could decrease.

Friday, February 17, 2012

By Angelique McNaughton

Official notification has been sent to the Fort Scott Fire Department from the Insurance Services Office Inc. announcing an improvement to Bourbon County’s Public Classification and fire suppression rating from 5 to 4, Chief Paul Ballou said.

Ballou made his announcement at the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce coffee Thursday at Lee’s Paws and Claws, the new no-kill shelter at 721 240th St.

ISO rates areas based on a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 being the highest rating. The company, commonly referred to as ISO, is the leading supplier of information about property and casualty insurance. In turn, that information is used to assist insurance companies make independent decisions about their pricing and premiums.

Within 90 days, area insurance companies will receive notification about the rating change, Ballou said.

But despite the improvement, businesses won’t see their premiums affected much, if at all.

John Crain, of Crain Insurance Agency, said any rating under 6 pretty much means the same thing in terms of premiums.

“They might give a little variance because of the difference between the 5 and 4, maybe in preferability,” Crain said, “but not in most cases.”

ISO field workers were in Fort Scott this past September conducting a survey of the city’s capabilities for fire suppression or protection. Ballou said the 5 rating was given to the city about 15 years ago.

Also at the coffee, attendees learned that Lee’s Paws and Claws, named for donor Lee Weast, is in need of volunteers and donations for basic expenses in order to open its doors. The shelter has been in the works since 1988 and is now built and paid for. There will be a paid director and three part-time employees to tend to the kennels and one who will probably be an administrative assistant part of the time.

But “caring, dedicated” volunteers who have time to devote to the cause and fundraising are sorely needed, spokeswoman Martha Smith has said.

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