By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
The Ellis County Commission heard an update on Insurance Services Office ratings for the Ellis County Fire Department during its Tuesday meeting.
The fire department conducted an assessment in 2025 that created property protection classifications for different areas of the county. Better scores increase the likelihood that property owners may qualify for lower insurance premiums.
Fire departments usually have multiple ratings based on a property’s location. The most significant changes occurred in Catharine, Munjor and Schoenchen, where improvements were made after hydrants in those areas were formally recognized.
As a result of this change, the three communities saw improvements in their assessment ratings. It is worth noting that not all insurance companies use these ratings directly to determine insurance premiums.
Ellis County Fire Chief Darin Myers said residents in the red circles are encouraged to contact their insurance providers to determine whether they may be eligible for a lower premium.
Myers said ISO evaluations assess the fire department’s response to structure fires, its equipment and water supply, and the dispatch center's operations.
Myers highlighted the 911 communications department, which scored 9.88 out of 10, calling it "next to perfect" in their protocols and equipment.
Myers said the county fire department's average arrival time on scene is about nine minutes and 54 seconds countywide.
ISO compares fire departments across the state and nationwide. These include departments with full-time, paid-per-call and volunteer firefighters.
For a department with 97 paid-per-call firefighters and two full-time firefighters, Myers said his department outperformed the state and national averages.
Other business
• Commissioners agreed that the annual county road tour be on March 31.
• Mike Freeman, public works project manager, updated the commission on efforts to address road right-of-way issues and the review process.
• The Ellis County Recovery Court received about $25,200 in court funding. This will include covering training, a software app and behavior therapy.
• Opioid funding request was approved to send Ellis County Sheriff officers to the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association conference
• Jay Harris, Cottonwood Extension District executive director, provided an overview of Kansas State University's Cooperative Extension Service and its role in Ellis and Barton counties.