PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The Springfield Fire Department is used to saving lives. Now they are hoping to save them money too.
On Thursday, the fire department’s public protection classification dropped from a 6 to a 3. The PPC is a rating metric created by the Insurance Services Organization to assess the readiness of local fire departments. Insurance companies use the ISO rating to calculate insurance premiums for residents and business owners. The rating goes from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst and 1 being the best.
“Well starting November 1st, we’ll put a letter on the city website where people can download the letter and take it to their insurance company and a lot of times you’ll get a break on your insurance. And since we dropped 3 points, it’ll be a significant drop on your insurance,” Brian Eddins, Fire Chief for the Springfield Fire Department said.
Eddins said it has been hard work to get to this point. Especially after the city was hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
“It really makes it special because – as everybody knows – we’ve been in temporary quarters since hurricane Michael and improving on your ISO class in a temporary structure is not easy. I’m so proud of my guys for coming together and getting this done,” Eddins said.
Soon the department will break ground on a new fire department, which they hope will be completed by this time next year. Their next goal is to improve to a rating of 2.
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Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.