Brewton homeowners could see lower fire insurance rates by fall, thanks to a lower fire rating awarded by the ISO.

“We have been a 5, and now we will drop to a Class 4,” Fire Chief Lawrence Weaver told Brewton City Council members Tuesday.

The best rating is a 1, so the lower 4 rating should mean a decrease in fire insurance rates for property owners, Weaver said.

The city has been working toward a lower rating for years, Mayor Ted Jennings said.

The latest rating is a result of a survey ISO began in September 2009. Weaver said evaluators looked at fire department records and studied the department’s communications, training, water supply and equipment, as well as small details such as how the department is listed in the phone book and the condition of fire hydrants.

“It’s akin to the IRS coming to see you,” he said.

Weaver thanked firefighters as well as other city departments for their help.

“This is a team effort,” he said.

Jennings praised the lower rating. “This is quite an accomplishment,” he said.