Some residents of northern Simpson County can expect a reduction in their home insurance premiums when an interlocal agreement that names Plano Volunteer Fire Department in Warren County the primary responder for their area goes into effect.

Simpson County Judge-Executive Jamie Spears said the 113 homes affected have higher insurance premiums because they are not close enough to their fire station.

“If your house is not within five miles of a firehouse, your premiums go up,” he said.

Numerous households in Simpson County are closer to the Plano station than any fire department in Simpson County, though the Plano station’s southward jurisdiction ends at the county line.

“Without an interlocal agreement across county lines, they would not serve those houses,” he said.

Though Franklin-Simpson Fire Rescue will respond to fires in this area, the people who live there still face higher premiums than those who live within five road miles of a Franklin fire station.

The agreement will allow the Plano Fire Department to collect $50 a year from the Simpson County homes it will protect, though residents can opt out of this payment, Spears said.

The Plano department will still come to the aid of anyone in Simpson County within five road miles who opts out of the annual $50 payment, though these people will have to reimburse the department for the expenses associated with a call to their property, he said.

“They can send you a bill for what it costs for man hours and equipment,” he said.

Leslie Goodrum, chief of Franklin-Simpson Fire Rescue, said fiscal courts in Simpson and Warren counties have approved the agreement.

Now, Goodrum needs to gather the necessary signatures from Spears and Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon and send all the paperwork to the Department of Local Government for approval.

Once the department approves the agreement, which Goodrum said he hopes happens by the start of the new year, it will go into effect.

“I’m hoping we’re ready to enact it by Jan. 1,” he said.

Goodrum said the agreement is almost identical to a deal that was finalized in September that made Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department in Warren County the primary responder for a number of homes in Simpson County within five road miles of the station.

Goodrum said he’s currently working on another similar deal that would make Auburn Fire Department in Logan County the primary responder for other homes in northern Simpson County.

Though Goodrum has heard some demand for this from the area’s residents, he has only gotten started on the process of putting the deal together.

“We’re just in the infancy stages,” he said.

Magistrate Bobby Bush represents the north district.

“It’s helping them out for safety and their insurance,” he said. “Any time we can help the people out like that, I think it needs to be done.

“When I was campaigning, they were glad I was doing it,” he said.