The Ironwood township board of trustees renewed mutual aid agreements with a number of neighboring communities yesterday. According to the Daily Globe, the agreements are with five municipalities in Gogebic County — the cities of Ironwood, Bessemer and Wakefield, as well as Bessemer and Marenisco townships — and Hurley, Montreal, Kimball, Oma and Pence in Wisconsin. Fire departments are able to respond to emergencies outside their own communities when needed, thanks to the agreements. The web of towns that agree to help each other also helps keep home insurance rates lower. The board also voted to switch its insurance carrier which is expected to save the township between $10,000 and $12,000 on premiums without any significant coverage changes.