City Earns ISO Rating of "2", Could Mean Savings on Your Insurance

(FROM LEFT, CITY CLERK KELSEY LOCK, FIRE CHIEF JOE HOLOMY, MAYOR JEFF BLOEMKER, AND CITY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS STEVE MILLER)

An effort that took several years to finalize has resulted in the City of Effingham's ISO rating improving to "2" from "3".

The ISO, or Insurance Service Office of Commercial Risk Services rating is one of the primary elements used by the insurance industry to develop fire protection premium rates for homes and businesses. The rating scale ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the ultimate goal and 10 meaning there's work to be done.

For a little perspective, there are more than 2,000 communities with fire departments in Illinois. Only 80 have a Class 2 rating. There are only 1,324 communities nationwide that have a Class 2 rating.

There are many factors taken into consideration in determining a community's ISO rating. The review of the fire department is 50% of the total grading. The water system within the City accounts for 40% of the total grading. Telecommunications and dispatch accounts for the remaining 10% of the grading.

As all of those factors play into the rating, a press conference was held prior to Tuesday night's City Council meeting to announce the "2" rating. Fire Chief Joe Holomy, Director of Public Works Steve Miller and Mayor Jeff Bloemker were all participants with City Clerk Kelsey Lock serving as emcee. The briefing was televised on the City's website as are all City Council, Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings.

In his remarks, Mayor Bloemker said those involved in the process have been harshly criticized by some, but said this is the payoff for their work.

Chief Holomy said property owners wondering how the new rating might affect their insurance rates should contact the firm that handles their coverage.

The City's Class 2 rating will become effective February 1, 2018.