New Fire District Will Help Residents Save Money On Insurance Rates

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- A new fire district has been created in Maben.

For the last several years, Maben Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 has sat along the Highway 82 corridor in Oktibbeha County.

However, as of August 2nd, the fire department and all of the land surrounding it is being grouped together to form the Oktibbeha County District 3 Fire Protection Grading District. It covers close to 40 square miles in the northwestern part of the county.

“In the last couple of years I think if you look back the county has spent a lot of time and effort into improving insurance rates, so it’s just a natural progression from there, kind of looking around where we can make improvements and this is one area that definitely needed some work,” said Austin Check, Fire Training Officer for the Oktibbeha County Volunteer Fire Departments.

Though the district is new, Check said the Maben Volunteer Fire Department will still respond to calls in the area.

“Services provided are still the same,” Check explained. “It’s still going to be the same fire department. The stations have already been constructed, the trucks are in the bays, it’s just the residents weren’t seeing the full benefits of it and that’s something that we’re rectifying at this point.”

Check said the current insurance rates residents pay are higher than the county would like.

However, with the creation of this new fire district, it will help residents save a few bucks and increase the quality of life.

“That’s our whole goal here is to improve the quality of life within the county and saving money and putting it back into the pockets of those that contribute within those communities is a big step towards that,” said Check.

According to Check, if everything goes as planned, residents will be able to save roughly 40% on their fire insurance premiums.

“If you look at it from a quality of life standpoint, saving that money on your insurance is money that you can invest back into your family or invest back into your property,” said Check. “For businesses maybe wanting to locate to that area now, the cost of doing business is a lot lower which makes this county a lot more competitive than the guy next-door.”

Right now, residents in the area should be seeing a five to 10 percent decrease on their insurance premiums.

That new district is at a ninth class rating and needs to be an eighth class or lower to get that 40-percent.

Training and exercises are underway to help improve that rating.