Oklahoma officials look to cut residents' homeowners insurance costs
Members of the state House of Representatives are looking to work with local cities and towns to improve their fire protection ratings to help reduce Oklahoma homeowners insurance costs.
The private company ISO rates the firefighting capabilities of local communities nationwide, giving them a score ranging from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst. Oklahoma has the highest percentage of communities nationwide scoring a 10.
"If we can encourage more communities to put in better water lines, improve their communication systems, or increase the number of trained firefighters," said state Representative Joe Dorman, "it's going to provide a huge return to homeowners."
He added that even somewhat basic improvements, such as purchasing modern communications gear, upgrading water lines or adding another fire truck, could have an impact on a town's ISO rating.
Officials said that for a home worth approximately $100,000, residents could save up to $900 per year in insurance costs alone if an area's fire protection rating went from a 10 to a 3.
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