A change in the Longmont Fire Services ISO rating may just be savings to your bank account on May 1, 2017.

Longmont Fire will be moving from an ISO rating of 4 to an ISO rating of 2. This improved rating is a result of many variables, however, the most significant is the opening of Longmont Fire Station 1 (1070 Terry Street), increased training hours, improvements in the city code to require sprinkler systems in businesses, and a robust water supply infrastructure.

What exactly is an ISO rating? ISO stands for Insurance Services Office.  This is a system that helps home insurance companies measure and evaluate major elements of a community’s fire suppression system. In other words they assess the fire departments ability to protect life and property.

According to information from ISO, of the over 48,000 fire departments nationwide, less than 920 obtain a Class 2 rating, which means Longmont Fire ranks in the top percentage of all fire departments in the country.

What does this mean for homeowners?  Homeowners could see a reduction in their insurance rates at an average of $200 a year. However, this does not happen automatically. Homeowners need to contact their insurance company to report the drop in the ISO rating to see if they will experience a change in rates.  Commercial occupancy in Longmont should also see a significant decrease in rates but an average saving per business is difficult to determine.

This is a great achievement and certainly has been a collaboration of efforts. Credit goes to the 85 men and women that make up our Fire Services Division who train diligently and work hard around the clock each and every day, our Fire Marshalls Office, our Public Safety Support Services staff, the Longmont Emergency Communications Center, the Longmont Water Department, other city staff, and City Council for supporting the mission and providing the equipment and facilities that allows the job to be done in the highest possible way. It is definitely a team effort!

Should you have further questions regarding this ISO rating change, please contact Deputy Public Safety Chief Jerrod Vanlandingham at (303)651-8830.