FAIRHOPE, Alabama—A new fire engine will start service in Fairhope this week, which will help keep down insurance costs and put an older truck on reserve status, according to city officials.

“By doing this, we’re able to keep our insurance rates down by about 30 to 40 percent for homeowners,” said Mayor Tim Kant during a Saturday morning ceremony at Fire Station No. 2 on Thompson Hall Road.

Kant said by adding a fifth fire engine, the FVFD will maintain a Class 4 rating from ISO, a company that rates municipal fire protection efforts and is used by insurance companies in calculating premiums for homeowner policies.

“Class 1 generally represents superior fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria,” according to the ISO website.

Although the FVFD is a volunteer fire department and separate in some respects from city government, the city of Fairhope paid for the new pumper engine, which cost approximately $390,000.

Engine No. 922 joins the department’s four other pumper trucks, one ladder, two rescue, one airport crash, four brush fire trucks, three service vehicles and one boat, which are used at three fire stations in Fairhope.

The new truck holds 1,000 gallons of water, while the others hold 500, according to fire department staff.

“It gives us a longer time to attack fires, especially in outlying areas,” said Assistant Chief Dale Kelly. “It will be used primarily to put one of our 22-year-old trucks on reserve status.”