Elmont Fire District gets higher classification

The Elmont Fire District’s public protection classification has been upgraded from a class 4 rating to a class 2 — possibly leading to lower fire insurance premiums for home and business owners, officials said.

The Insurance Services Offices, an insurance advisory organization based in Jersey City, N.J., that provides insurers with a variety of underwriting and rating services, assigned the class 2 ranking. Elmont is one of 15 communities on Long Island and among 25 in the state that have the classification, according to the advisory group.

The rating program evaluates the fire district’s emergency communications, fire department preparation and access to water supply. The group also looks at the quality of training, maintenance records and other fire district documents. The classification ranges from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best.

“We are always working to improve our ISO rating,” fire chief Angelo Chilelli said in a statement. “One reason for the higher ranking is the addition of our training tower, which allows us to enhance firefighter training on our time and grounds.”

Insurance companies use the rating information to help establish premiums for fire insurance, usually offering lower premiums in communities where fire mitigation has been proven to be a reliable predictor of future fire losses, fire officials said.

Above: Belmont Hook and Ladder Co. 1, located on Elmont Road in Elmont, was founded in 1905 and named after racing tycoon August Belmont. (May 24, 2012)