The Mississippi State Rating Bureau has improved Biloxi’s fire rating from a 5 to a 4, and, as a result, Mayor A.J. Holloway is encouraging homeowners and business owners to check with their insurers for lower fire insurance rates.
Fire insurance rates for commercial and residential structures could decrease anywhere from 5 to 8 percent, depending on the size and type of structure insured.
In determining the new classification, the rating bureau considered the staffing levels in the Biloxi Fire Department, the city’s accreditation as a Level 2 training facility, adequate water pressure at fire hydrants, and employing backup generators at city water wells.
In terms of manpower, Biloxi, with 181 firefighters, has the largest fire department in south Mississippi.
The rating bureau says that any discounts for existing fire-insurance policies in Biloxi could be pro-rated from Dec. 8, 2009.
Biloxi is now one of only six cities in the state and one of only two on the Coast to have a Class 4 rating. The others are Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Yazoo City and Greenwood. The highest-rated cities in the state – Jackson and Southaven – have a Class 3 rating.
More online
Official notice: To read the notice that the state rating bureau has sent to insurance agents regarding Biloxi’s improved fire rating,
click here.
Ratings agency: To learn more about the Mississippi State Rating Bureau,
click here.
