Residents should see drop in insurance
Residents in the Lambeth community could see a decrease in their homeowners insurance after the Lambeth Volunteer Fire Department recently saw a drop in its ISO rating from a 7 to a 6.
Lambeth Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Lee, who also serves as Flomaton’s lone paid fireman and as a Flomaton volunteer, said it was great news for the Lambeth area.
Lambeth has an all volunteer department with 17 on the active roster and owns one pumper fire truck. Lambeth also shares a brush truck with the Flomaton Volunteer Fire Department.
Lee credited Lambeth Fire Chief Terry Boutwell for moving the fire department in a positive direction.
“Chief Boutwell has done a great job with the fire department and it’s showing,” Lee said.
Lee said ISO ratings are based on many factors, but the key components are response time, training and manpower. He also said a volunteer fire department has to maintain at least 12 members to get consideration on the ISO rating.
“This is a big improvement to the Lambeth community,” Lee said, noting the new ISO rating is good for five years. “Anytime you can lower that number it’s a positive.”
Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said with Lambeth dropping to a 6 it will also benefit the Flomaton area. Flomaton, Friendship and Lambeth all provide mutual aid and if a structure fire happens within those three districts it’s automatic aid with all fire departments dispatched.
Former Flomaton Volunteer Fireman Larry White, who owns Larry White Insurance Agency in Flomaton, said people in the Lambeth community could see a 5 to 20 percent reduction in their homeowners insurance due to the ISO decrease.
White said there are a lot of factors insurance companies take into consideration when setting rates and the ISO rating is crucial.
“No. 1, more insurance companies are willing to issue policies based on a lower ISO rating,” White said.
He added that other factors are included, such as the age of the structure, the construction and the security.
White noted over the years in Flomaton, he’s seen premiums drop up to 50 percent since Flomaton’s ISO rating of 8 in the late 1970s dropped to the current 4.
“The local fire department and the local governing bodies have done a great job in lowering the protection class across the Flomaton area,” White said.
