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West Virginia volunteer fire departments are protesting an increase in workers’ compensation premiums charged by BrickStreet Mutual Insurance Co.

Tom Miller with the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department says his group’s annual premium rose by 81 percent. He says the Wayne Volunteer Fire Department’s premium jumped by 99 percent.

Miller says some departments are discussing not running calls for a day.

BrickStreet President and CEO Greg Burton says the company changed the way it calculates premiums. They’re now based on a paid firefighter’s average wage instead of a volunteer’s regular job.

BrickStreet is the sole provider of workers’ comp insurance for government agencies until July 1, when the market will open to competition.

Topics Workers' Compensation Virginia