Cape's new fire department rating a win for homeowners

There was some potentially good news for Cape Girardeau homeowners recently.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department received an improved rating from the Insurance Services Offices in its September 2022 survey, which could lead to a decrease in insurance premiums for residents.

Chief Randy Morris Jr. said his department received a 3/3X ISO rating on the Public Protection Commission Survey. It was rated 4/4X as of 2017. The survey evaluates how well the community deals with fires based on its structural fire suppression delivery system, emergency communications and water distribution system. Cape Girardeau is now one of 3,583 fire departments in the country with this rating.

Insurance companies look at the ISO rating when evaluating costs, and the fire chief noted one local agent said the improved rating could save homeowners as much as $300 per year on their premiums.

We certainly appreciate all of our first responders, including those in the local fire departments. And any opportunity to improve operations, whether through prevention or how the department responds to fires, is a good thing. If the rating improvement does lead to this level of premium decrease, that's certainly a win for homeowners in Cape Girardeau.