The city of Poplarville’s fire insurance rating improved, which will lower insurance premiums for the city’s residents.

All fire departments, whether municipal or volunteer, are given a rating between one and 10, said Poplarville’s interim Fire Chief Donald D’Antonio. Poplarville has been at class seven since 1998, but recently the classification improved to a six, said D’Antonio.

“It took a lot of coordination,” D’Antonio said.

The rating considers many different factors, including the department’s training and equipment. To gain the improved classification, the department had to test hydrants, hire additional part time help and increase the number of fire prevention and risk reduction programs in the community, D’Antonio said.

The city’s public works department also helped improve the rating by repairing dead hydrants and improving the city’s water mains, D’Antonio said. He commended Public Works Superintendent Sam Hale for improving the city’s water system.

Personnel spent a lot of time inputting data concerning departmental accomplishments in order to inform the state about the work the city’s fire department does, D’Antonio said.

Mayor Rossie Creel said lowering the rating has been one of the Board of Aldermen’s goals, because it has the potential to save city residents money.

“They elected us to do a job and to do right by them and I think we’ve done that through getting this fire rating lowered,” Creel said.