YOUNGSVILLE, La. – The PIAL rating is a one to ten system. The lower the rating the lower insurance rates for all residents. The Youngsville Fire Department currently has a four rating and is trying to bring it down to a three.

With new businesses and houses being added to the community, Youngsville Fire Department is trying to keep up with the city’s growth.

“The challenge we have now is just to continue working with them, which we will do and we want to do,” said Mayor of Youngsville Ken Ritter, “to make sure that they can help achieve their goals to protect our fire rating to keep up with the future growth of our community.”

To lower the rating a contingency plan was presented to the council to add a second and maybe third fire station, a third fire engine and a cost-effective maintenance plan for the city’s 575 fire hydrants.

“The conversation really centered around who’s going to pay what, said Mayor Ritter, “How much cash do they have available verses how much cash does the city have available.”

The plan would cost $1.6 million with the fire department contributing $425,000.

“We’re willing to give up $425,000 which comes from the sale of the old station,” said Fire Department Captain Austin Shotwell, “it’s not like we have an excess savings account of money that we’re just sitting on.”

The town’s general fund has $2 million and the fire department’s general fund is $1.1 million.

Shotwell says that $425,000 is the maximum number they can offer in order to keep enough money to operate for the rest of the year.