Hiring another full-time firefighter with emergency medical training could save the town and its property owners much more than that employee’s cost by way of lowering insurance bills. Fire Chief Thomas Joyce told Selectmen Tuesday night.

Joyce said having a “fully staffed” department would only benefit the town, especially Marion’s ability to meet the standards of the Insurance Service Organization.

The organization calculates fire insurance ratings of a town based on a number of statistics, including water supply, equipment and staffing.

Joyce said in order to improve Marion’s “ISO rating,” the Fire Department would need to hire a full-time firefighter.

According to Joyce, the department has been relying on one full-time person with part-time staff filling in for needed shifts, as well as additional help from the Marion Police Department.

Currently Marion’s standing with the organization is Class 6 based on a scale of one to ten, with one being the best.

The lower a town’s class rating, the less the property owners pay in insurance premiums.

“With every full-time body you have, it increases our percentage,” Chief Joyce said.  “Right now we are a Class 6, but we only need 2.3 percent to go to Class 5.”

The Board members were in agreement for Joyce to actively seek the new hire in order to meet with the Insurance Service Organization’s classification standards.

“The very fact that we would go from a Class 6 to 5 would be thousands, if not millions, of dollars saved for the town,” Selectman Roger F. Blanchette said.  “Across the town will be terrific savings when we get that ISO 5.”

In other business:

Police Chief Miller made a recommendation to the Board for the appointment of Officer Jeffrey Tripp to the rank of Sergeant.  Chief Miller commended the “outstanding job” of Officer Miller, based on which, the Board approved his promotion.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be meeting with representatives from both Marion and Mattapoisett to discuss flood maps Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Old Rochester Regional High School Cafeteria.