ROGERS (KFSM) - Homeowners in Rogers could soon save a lot of money on their fire insurance premium rates when the fire department's new insurance rating goes into effect in March.
The Rogers Fire Department received the ISO Class 1 Rating, the highest score a community can receive. Rogers' ISO Class 1 Rating is up from the ISO Class 3 Rating it received in 2007.
"There are no 1 ratings in Northwest Arkansas," said Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins. "As a matter of fact, the last time I counted there's just under 60 1 rated fire departments in the entire United States."
The Insurance Services Office evaluates fire protection efforts in cities throughout the country. The ratings are on a 1 to 10 scale and are calculated on multiple factors: the fire department, the water supply system and the dispatch center.
"It's not just the fire department receiving the rating, it's a reflection of the teamwork between us, the police department and the water utility," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said the higher the rating, the cheaper the insurance premiums can be. He said he expects rates to drop anywhere from 1 percent all the way up to 20 percent.
"It's nice because it shows that the fire department is able to protect the risk in our community and in the city of Rogers, but we will also be able to save our citizens some money," he said.
Jenkins said the Searcy Fire Department is the only other fire department in Arkansas to have the ISO Class 1 Rating.
The city's new insurance rating goes into effect on March 1.