The Durango Fire Protection District announced some good news for those with fire insurance Wednesday.
The department’s Insurance Service Office rating will improve to a 4 from a 5 out of 10 on Nov. 1.
This rating helps insurance companies determine insurance rates, according to a statement released Wednesday.
About 60 percent of this rating is based on the department’s ability to respond to a fire which includes the certification of staff and equipment on each engine, among other factors, said Fire Marshal Karola Hanks.
The rating also includes aspects outside the department’s control including local building codes and water supply, she said.
Even though the city is currently enforcing 2006 building codes, the department was able to overcome this by doing well in other areas, such as fire investigation and community education.
The high scores allowed the city to compensate for the older building codes, she said.
In fact, the department was only 2 points away from a 3 out of 10 rating, the statement said.
The high marks could help the insurance rates of those within a five-mile radius of a fire station. Those farther away automatically receive a 10.
The city receives a separate ISO rating, and it was facing a rating of 9 in September because of the old building codes, Greg Hoch, the director of community development, told the Durango City Council on Tuesday.
The city currently has an ISO rating of 4 for commercial buildings and 5 for homes.
The ISO agency gave the city a grace period to show it was taking steps to correct the rating by adopting new building codes. City councilors approved almost all of the 2012 building codes Tuesday, the only exception was the energy codes. The city opted to adopt the 2009 energy codes.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
