FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 23, 2021

Commissioner Donelon Commends Fire Districts for Achieving Top Protection Grading

Louisiana has achieved a record number of Class 1 fire districts, increasing safety for Louisiana residents and helping to curb the cost of property insurance premiums in those communities, Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon announced.

Louisiana now has 14 fire districts with a Class 1 rating, the best protection grading possible. Ten of these districts have joined the top category in the past four years.

“Investments in fire protection make our families safer and lower our property insurance rates. Hard work by fire departments and community leaders pays off,” Donelon said. 

An organization called the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL) rates fire protection, and the Louisiana Department of Insurance approves the advisory rates for fire insurance that PIAL files. All fire districts are graded on a scale of 1 to 10 by PIAL, with 10 representing no fire protection and 1 being the best.

In recent years, PIAL has been working closely with fire chiefs about steps their districts can take to improve their firefighting effectiveness, which can improve their fire district’s classification. Before the new Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, a handbook governing grades for fire districts, took effect in 2017, PIAL worked closely with districts on the upcoming changes so that they could plan to make the type of investments that would improve their ratings.

PIAL’s consultations and educational efforts by the state’s firefighting organizations paid off and the number of Class 1 districts more than tripled in recent years.

The chart below lists all Class 1 fire districts in Louisiana and when they achieved top status.

Many components factor into a district’s rating. The availability of water and hydrants, the number of dispatchers on duty, the number of fire trucks and firefighters, as well as their training and equipment all affect a district’s grading. The 2017 fire grading handbook also emphasizes using technology to become a more effective firefighting organization, such as using computer-aided dispatch systems and calculating performance measures aided by mapping technology, such as the time it took for a fire truck to arrive on scene after receiving the signal.

Louisiana law mandates that better fire district ratings translate into savings on property insurance. La. R.S. 22: 1460(I) requires that insurers reduce premiums as fire gradings improve.

“I commend the communities that have invested in their firefighting operations,” Commissioner Donelon said. “Policyholders in those districts will reap the benefits through improved safety and lower insurance premiums.”

About the Louisiana Department of Insurance: The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300 or visiting www.ldi.la.gov.