Frankfort Fire District Weighs Property Insurance Renewal Amid 29% Rate Increase
Frankfort Fire Protection District Board of Trustees Meeting | April 21, 2026
Article Summary: The Frankfort Fire Protection District board heard competing property and casualty insurance renewal proposals at its April 21, 2026, meeting — a 29% increase from current carrier FirstFire and a lower bid from prior carrier Selective — and tabled a decision to its next meeting.
Property Insurance Renewal Key Points:
- FirstFire’s renewal came in at a 29% increase, or $113,908, after the district did not receive a required 60-day notice for an increase of 30% or more.
- Prior carrier Selective submitted a competing proposal at $101,585.
- The board concurred to continue the discussion at its next meeting rather than vote on a renewal.
FRANKFORT — The Frankfort Fire Protection District Board of Trustees on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, reviewed two competing property and casualty insurance renewal proposals for 2026-2027 but held off on a decision, agreeing to continue the discussion at its next meeting.
Mitch Backes, an agent with Assured Partners, presented the renewal information and walked the board through a spreadsheet comparing the FirstFire renewal against a proposal from Selective, the district’s previous carrier.
According to the figures Backes presented, the district did not receive a required 60-day notice from FirstFire regarding an increase of 30% or more; as a result, FirstFire’s increase was held to 29%, or $113,908. Selective, the district’s previous property and casualty carrier, submitted what the minutes characterize as an aggressive renewal proposal at $101,585.
Backes detailed several coverage distinctions between the two options. He noted that, per Selective, a corner of the Station 72 property borders a FEMA flood zone, so coverage there would be $2 million, while all other stations would carry $5 million in coverage each. He also explained that Selective’s policy carries 80% to 90% co-insurance, whereas FirstFire’s has no co-insurance requirement, and discussed how “agreed value” functions on guaranteed replacement cost coverage.
The agenda had listed the insurance item under new business for discussion and possible approval. After an open discussion, however, the board concurred to continue the matter at its next meeting rather than vote on a renewal. Backes was dismissed from the meeting at 5:30 p.m.
The decision leaves the district’s property and casualty coverage for 2026-2027 unresolved heading into the board’s next session. The source materials do not state when the current policy expires or a deadline by which the board must act.
Latest News Stories
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board for Dec. 10, 2025
District 210 Awards $24.4 Million Contract for Major HVAC Upgrades
The Lakota Group Tapped for Historic Downtown Frankfort Design Study
Mental Health Board Updates Committee on 2026 Grant Cycle and Funding Priorities
Clean Audit Reveals $8.5 Million Increase in District 161 Net Position
PZC Approves Homer Township Landscape Business Despite Neighbor Concerns; Adds Berm Condition
JJC Foundation Executive Director Retires Following $2.3 Million Estate Gift
Lincoln-Way Board Approves $92.5 Million Tax Levy for 2025
Summit Hill District 161 Board Approves $44.8 Million Tax Levy with Slight Overall Decrease
Frankfort Board Approves 2025 Tax Levy with Projected Rate Decrease
Interim Chief Interviews for Permanent Job as Frankfort Fire Board Meets in Closed Session
Liquor License Amendments Approved for Frankfort, Joliet, and Lockport Businesses
Frankfort Fire Trustees Hire Illinois Fire Chiefs Association to Assist in Chief Search; One Trustee Dissents
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Planning and Zoning Commission for December 16, 2025