A town hall meeting to allow citizens to speak out about new insurance rates has been scheduled.
Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris said the meeting is a chance to clear the air. Insurance rates are skyrocketing, and many companies are blaming the ISO (Insurance Services Office Inc.) rating.
“There is a whole lot more to the story,” Paris said. “The fire department is actually doing better, and our rates have improved.”
ISO enters into the equation, but Paris said a provision about the location of fire hydrants is now being enforced and taken into account.
“That’s the real culprit here,” he said. “In a rural county like this, that is a killer.”
In an interview following the initial rating, Gilmer County Fire Chief Daniel Kauffman explained the process.
“Every five years, we go through an ISO rating,” said Chief Kauffman. “It is a very thorough process you go through.”
Auditors look at training, staffing, equipment, testing info and water availability.
This audit, Gilmer County Fire and Rescue improved its rating.
“We went from 6/10 to 5/5x,” he said. “In every category, we improved.”
Kauffman said the county increased the number of fire hydrants from 421 to 737, a 75 percent increase.
Gilmer County Fire is considered a rural fire department.
“So a five is very good,” said Kauffman.
He expects the department will hit a four next year.
In rural parts of the county, the insurance rates are going up, though, because of the lack of fire hydrants and water available.
During past audits, the distance a home was from a fire station helped lower the rating. During this audit, the availability of water was factored into the equation.
Residents who live within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant get the benefit of the five rating for Gilmer County Fire and Rescue. Everyone else will be under the 5x rate which is basically a nine in the old scoring system.
“It stinks because we improved overall,” said Kauffman. “The water is the issue that affects us.”
Paris said they are looking at ways to ameliorate the effect of not having more fire hydrants in rural areas.
“Those have been a dead end,” he said. “So far, we have not been able to come up with something that would satisfy the insurance companies.”
Paris said he wants to hold a town hall meeting for Gilmer County residents to answer questions.
“I don’t blame people with what they are being told or reading on social media, but it may be less than worthless,” he said.
“Social media is not noted for accuracy.”
Gilmer County commissioners, along with members of the fire department, will host the meeting Monday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m., in the jury assembly room of the Gilmer County courthouse.