The City of Dewey's ISO rating dropped from a 5 to a 3 in recent weeks, and city officials are still ecstatic about the news.

Mayor Tom Hays thanked the Dewey Fire Department and Dewey Public Works for their efforts in making this happen. He is also proud of the Dewey City Council for being so dedicated to bring a new water tower to Dewey over the years. He said it took many people doing great things to make this possible.

To score the certification the City of Dewey received, 50-percent of the score falls on the Dewey Fire Department. Chief Schueler said the insurance rating is based on water supply, response time to fire calls, and the equipment they have to put out fires. The Dewey Fire Department went from a 5 classification to a 3 classification on a 1 to 10 scale. 1 is the best rating a department can receive.

Reflecting back to August 1st, 2018, Chief Schueler said there was a split in the staff and there was some doubt in the community that the current staff could improve the ISO rating. He said the guys that remained used that as fuel to make Dewey Fire one of the best fire departments in northeast Oklahoma.

Prepping the paperwork took about 120 hours. Chief Schueler said Assistant Fire Chief Cody Meade also assisted him in getting that straightened out. And apart from the paperwork, he said it was bigger than the administrative side of it.

The guys that fight the fires and endure the training were also praised. Chief Schueler thanked the volunteer firefighters that have sacrificed their time to get better and help Dewey Fire achieve the 3 classification. He said they knew that it would be difficult, but as a team, they knew they had a chance.

40-percent of the ISO rating grade was dependent on the Dewey Public Works Department. They are responsible for the water supply and hydrant pressurization on top of other things in the city.

With the improved ISO score of 3, citizens in Dewey and rural Dewey will be able to see a decrease in the rate you pay in your homeowners insurance. This will go into effect on Sunday, March 1st, 2020, but you have to inform your insurance company about the change if you have an existing policy.