Midway Fire District ISO rating climbs to Level 3
Better rating could result in lower area insurance rates
BY JOE CULPEPPER Gulf Breeze News Joe@gulfbreezenews.com

The Midway Fire District received a Santa Rosa County-best ISO fire protection rating of 3, effective Sept. 1.

The result could mean lower insurance rates for consumers.

"It's definitely a win for the community," MFD chief Steve Demeter said. "A lot of training has been done, a lot of improvements made in the way we do things.

"ISO looks at training, staffing levels, having the proper equipment to respond. Staffing the ladder truck helped. Mutualaid agreements that are in place now helped."

A system established by the Insurance Services Office rates fire protection on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst.

Midway Fire District has remained steady with a 5 rating since 2002, a number shared by Gulf Breeze and Navarre Beach fire departments. Holley- Navarre Fire Department, by comparison, carries a 7 rating.

Ratings are determined based on ISO evaluations of the fire department in general, the communications center and water supply. Various insurance companies, including Citizens Insurance, utilize the rating to determine and set rates for homeowners and business insurance.

The primary rating system includes areas within 1,000 feet of a hydrant and five miles of a fire station. Outlying rural areas are rated similarly, but those numbers typically are much higher.

Demeter said homeowners and businesses in the Midway Fire District should contact their homeowner's insurance provider to have their insurance re-evaluated.

Most, but not all, insurance companies will offer lower rates based on the new rating, and homeowners might see a substantial decrease in their fire insurance cost. A lower number also is more attractive to prospective new businesses.

"For a business that wants to locate here or somebody wants to build houses and stuff, it helps to have that low number," Demeter said. "That's an attraction, a plus for the community."

Midway Fire District has worked since 2004 to improve its rating.