Holley paying more for fire insurance

Some Holley residents may have noticed an increase to their home fire insurance premium because of a change in the area’s Insurance Service Office rating.

The ISO upgraded Holley-Navarre Fire District’s rating in 2009 from a 7/9 split rating to a 5/10 split rating. While 5 is a fairly good rating, a 10 means the homeowner has to pay a high price for fire insurance. ISO updates its inspections every 10 years or when a district requests a new inspection after making improvements to equipment, hydrants or builds a new station.

Fire Chief Ron Norton said the ISO rating was determined by many factors, including a home’s distance from a fire station. When the last ISO inspection was done in 2009, he said the Holley fire station on Bob Tolbert Road was not counted toward the rating because it hadn’t been used in more than three years.

Norton said Engine 44 was still parked at the station on Bob Tolbert Road. However, he said the engine has not responded to any calls since at least 2002 when he joined the department.

Homes located on Vonnie Tolbert Road and Choctaw Field would probably fall into the 10 category because they are located more than 5 miles away from the Fire Station 45 on Esplanade Street and Fire Station 43 on East Bay Boulevard.

For more of this story, see the Dec. 22 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.