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Brian Roarty with the Savannah fire protection district takes care of some light maintenance at the Amazonia Fire Station Monday afternoon.

SAVANNAH, Mo. — City officials are checking facts and figures to determine whether a joint Savannah/Andrew County fire department could improve safety and response times and reduce insurance rates.

The city received a proposal to meld the two existing departments into one unit. Both departments operate out of the same building on U.S. Highway 71 Business, but the Savannah city department is all volunteer. The rural fire department has three full-time employees plus volunteers.

The proposal came from Joe Lyle, chairman of the Savannah Rural Fire Department board, who suggested that such a move had the potential to lower Savannah’s Insurance Services Office (or ISO) ratings, which could lower insurance costs for homeowners.

“Naturally, any decrease in insurance cost is obviously a reason to look at such a proposal,” Savannah Mayor Billy Kretzer said. The council is still gathering information and will debate the pros and cons, Mr. Kretzer said.

County property owners pay 56.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Savannah property owners at this time don’t pay a specific tax for fire service.

The city includes an annual appropriation from general fund moneys received from taxpayers, said Janice Hatcher, Savannah’s administrator and clerk. This year the amount was $36,900, or about $20 annually, from each property owner, Mrs. Hatcher said.

Of course, people need to know that not all insurance companies use ISO ratings, said Phil Bruner, an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance Services. But for many homeowners, a lower ISO number would mean they’d get a more competitive insurance rate.

But as a homeowner, Mr. Bruner said, people should look at the potential future benefits. With improved service and lower insurance rates will come another tax but also a single fire department that should improve property values, Mr. Bruner said. Knowing that 10 years down the road costs will probably be significantly higher, Mr. Bruner said he’d probably be in favor of the move.

The council hasn’t set a deadline for completing a review and making a decision.

Marshall White can be reached

at marshall@npgco.com.