NATCHEZ — Some Kingston residents have been surprised this month with big rebate checks thanks to an upgrade in the community’s fire rating.

Adams County Supervisor David Carter, whose district includes Kingston, said residents are getting $200 to $500 rebate checks thanks to the fire rating improving from a nine to an eight.

The Mississippi State Rating Bureau grades municipalities and fire districts on aspects including dispatch, training, personnel, pump capacity and water supply.  Fire districts are rated from one to 10, with one being the best rating.

As an example, insurance for an average $100,000 brick veneer house with a $1,000 deductible was $1,238 per year for fire insurance under a nine rating, while under the eight rating the same house would cost $910, said Debra Harrigill with Byrne Insurance Agency,

Harrigill said quotes obviously vary based on a number of factors.

In the case of Kingston, Carter said the difference in ratings was based on increased volunteer involvement and the water flow in the area.

Carter said when he was on scene at the Kingston School fire this past week, volunteers from all four county departments, Kingston, Lake Montrose, Foster Mound and Liberty Road, were quick to arrive on scene.

“We had 16 volunteers on the scene in less than 30 minutes,” Carter said. “When you can do that, it looks very good for the rating bureau.”

The crews from the different volunteer stations also clearly knew what they were doing, Carter said.

“The city took the lead, but the volunteers were in the middle of it,” he said. “You couldn’t tell who was a volunteer and who wasn’t. Yes, the volunteer program is working.”

While Carter said the volunteers are strong at responding all over the county, the difference in Kingston is the 4-inch water lines as opposed to the 2-inch water lines in other parts of the county.

Carter said on top of 4-inch lines providing more water, putting too much pressure on the 2-inch lines could cause a rupture.

“This is certainly a service we need to try to improve up on in the county,” Carter said. “It is a big issue for residents when you are able to lower fire ratings for them because they benefit greatly from it.”

Carter said a priority of the supervisors ought to be improving water lines district-wide. A problem the county gets into are the different water associations. Kingston is under Adams County Water, but that association is just one of five in the county.

“They all have different people that run them,” Carter said. “Some of them are good, some of them are not.”

Kingston Fire Chief Donald Johnson said this improved rating has been a long time coming.

“All four departments have been doing good,” Johnson said. “All are responding to help each other and we are doing training together.

“We are working together and communicating well.”

Carter also encouraged more people to consider serving their community and becoming volunteer firefighters. He said if you are interested contact Darryl Smith, the volunteer fire coordinator, at 601-442-7021.