Montgomery County ESD No. 4 earns lower ISO rating

The Needham Fire Rescue Company and the Montgomery County Emergency Services District 4 has earned a new rating of 2 from the Insurance Services Office.

The ISO rating, which went down from a 4/8 to a 2, means property owners in the service area could see lower insurance rates. The NFRC serves the communities of Harpers Preserve, Woodloch, Carriage Hills, Tamina, Jacobs Reserve, Huntington Estates and Montgomery Creek Ranch.

“The people it really affects the most is anyone who might have a business in the area where [the rating] was an 8,” said Helen Capozzelli, administrative assistant. “They can see dramatic changes in their insurance rating.”

Based on a scale from 1 to 10—with 1 being the best—ISO ratings are based on several factors, such as water distribution, fire department equipment, manpower and fire alarm facilities, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Capozzelli said the ESD hired a consultant to tell the department what it would need to achieve a lower ISO rating, which had not been updated since 2006. The addition of new tanker trucks, which hold 2,500 gallons of water, helped the department earn a lower rating, along with its close proximity to other fire departments in the area.