May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn (WVLT) -- Firefighters in Pigeon Forge are working to pass an inspection that could save people in Pigeon Forge money on insurance premiums for fire insurance. Right now the City of Pigeon Forge is at a 5 rating on a scale of 1 to 10, but hopes to move to a 3.
Pigeon Forge Fire Chief, Tony Watson, says the fire department has not been rated for ISO since 1994. Watson says moving the city from a class 5 to class 3 could help save the city as a whole $1.5 million.
"Taking those ratings down could be worth millions to all the residence and the business owners inside the city limits of pigeon forge as a whole," said Watson. "Lowering these residential insurance premiums is very important for our community and it saves them money."
Watson says the ISO inspector looks at operations of the fire department, to how the city's water supply is. He says the city added a new fire station this year, and he believes that will help with the overall rating. However, he says what ever the rating is, it will serve as guidance about where the fire department can improve and make the city safer for everyone.
"This will give the city of Pigeon Forge a road map for the future. We'll know what we're good at, we'll know what our deficiencies are," added Watson.
The inspector is due on Wednesday and Thursday, it could take up to 6 months to get the fire rating back.
