By KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Rural homeowners near Victoria and Ellis should see a drop in homeowners insurance thanks to a favorable inspection received by the Ellis County Rural Fire Department.

According to Rural Fire Chief Dick Klaus, local inspectors from the International Organization for Standardization granted the department better ratings than in years past.

Klaus said the rating means the department meets standards and ECRF can arrive to a rural home in a timely manner with enough water and manpower to extinguish fires in a rural areas.

“(This) was made possible by the working together of all the fire departments — city of Ellis, city of Victoria, my Ellis County department — that has helped a lot … working together,” said Klaus, noting the Ellis County Fire Department recently bought two new tanker trucks.

Klaus said the new home insurance ratings take effect Aug. 1.

Klaus encourages rural homeowners to contact their insurance agents and inform them of the change as soon as possible.