Efforts made by the Bryan County Fire Department to improve fire protection services are paying off in savings for homeowners in south Bryan.

EMA Director Jim Anderson informed the Bryan County Board of Commissioners at a regular meeting on Nov. 3 the ISO (Insurance Services Office) rating for unincorporated south Bryan County has improved from a 6/9 to a 5/9.

ISO ratings affect insurance rates homeowners pay their insurance providers. A 10 is the most expensive rating. Ratings are determined by a home’s distance to a water source, such as a fire hydrant, and its distance to a responding fire station. The ISO also takes into account a fire department’s personnel and equipment when rating fire protection services.

"Anything within 1,000 feet of a pressurized fire hydrant is a class 5," Anderson said. "A class 9 is outside 1,000 feet of a hydrant."

Anderson explained insurance premiums are set by individual insurance companies and that premiums vary from company to company.

-Read more in the Bryan County News.