Oktibbeha County’s District 5 Volunteer Fire Department’s fire district received a Class 7 fire rating from the Mississippi State Rating Bureau Wednesday, and property owners in the area should see an immediate decrease in their insurance premiums.
The District 5 fire district — not to be confused with its larger fire response area — spans a portion of southeastern Oktibbeha County, from Poorhouse Road at the northwestern portion of its boundary to Skinner Road and Crawford Road to the east. Central Oktibbeha, Starkville and East Oktibbeha fire departments service the areas to its west, north and northeast, respectively.
Outside of Starkville (Class 4), District 5 is the first Oktibbeha County fire district to achieve a MSRB designation below Class 8. Excluding Starkville, county fire coverage is shared between seven main volunteer fire departments.
Approximately 1,825 structures — of which 1,539 are residences — fall in the existing District 5 fire district, according to Golden Triangle Planning and Development District statistics.
Those residents and other property owners within District 5’s fire district should check with their insurance providers to see what their exact reductions will be, said District 5 firefighter Austin Check.
Achieving the new designation meant District 5 had to meet numerous criteria, including proving water transportation capacity, equipment upgrades and reporting standards, he said.
“Two years ago, our department decided we wanted to advance,” Check said. “We put our heads together and decided to take care of our district. A lot of time, effort and manpower went into this, and there were a lot of factors, including getting a new pumper truck on grant and the county hiring a new 911 dispatcher.”
Long-term goals for the fire department includes increasing its fire district, Check said.
Annexing additional territory would add almost 130 structures to the coverage area, GTPDD statistics show.
District 5 achieved a Class 8 rating in 2012.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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