Improved fire protection rating results in insurance rate reductions

A recent inspection to measure the effectiveness of the equipment and facilities of the Rogers City Fire Department resulted in an improved ISO rating for some homeowners in Rogers City. ISO is an independent organization that serves insurance companies, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. An ISO inspector visited Rogers City nearly a year ago and changed the fire protection rating from seven to six. Some residential homeowners in Rogers City, within five miles of the Second Street fire station, should have seen savings ranging from $30 to $100 on their home insurance policies in early July.

ACCORDING TO Rogers City fire chief Tim Luebke, the RCFD was a few percentage points from a five rating. The lowest possible rating is 10. Rural fire departments without a hydrant system can receive a nine for houses a few miles from the fire station, but after that the rating goes down to 10. ?I was hoping to get a high six,? said Luebke of his pre-report expectations. ?Getting almost a five, that was a big surprise. It inspires us to try a little harder to get that five now. We are looking at different things, but of course the main thing is trying to fund it.? The ISO inspector was in Rogers City over a three-day period last October and issued his final report in May. It was the first inspection in about a decade. ?If we would have made a five, the residential rate would have dropped a little more,? said Luebke. ?When you get into the fives and fours, that deals more with commercial and industrial. It would not take a lot to get to a five. The biggest thing is money to be able to upgrade enough to do that.?

IMPROVED SUPPLY lines and a new truck could ?possibly? make up the additional points. ?Do to the size of our structures around town, (ISO) recommends we have the capability of pumping a minimum of 3,000 gallons a minute. Technically, we would need a third truck,? said Luebke. A Homeland Security Grant for an aerial truck is currently under consideration. L

uebke said, while the application was not rejected in the first round, it will be a while before they know if the grant is approved.

If the RCFD receives a new truck, they can request a new inspection. Upgrades to four-inch supply lines area local officials are looking at improving, but are cost-prohibitive. The ISO recommends five-inch supply lines. ?You?re looking at $10,000 we don?t have,? said Luebke. In exploring grants, Luebke said most grants require matching dollars. ?If we get a grant for the supply lines with a 50/50 match,? said Luebke, ?we would still have to come up with $5,000 for the hoses.?

THERE WERE favorable marks for response time and the average number of fire fighters that show up at a structure fire. The ISO recommends at least 11. Luebke said the RCFD averages 18. ?It is not just the fire department that creates this rating,? said Luebke. ?Part of it is the dispatch center, how they operate and how many dispatchers they have on. The water system helps as well.? Trucks and pumps are tested and certified every October. The pump inspection costs $300 per truck, while ladder inspections are $800. Luebke has been on the telephone trying to secure the best price for the inspections. Air packs are hydrotested and water hoses are pressure tested. ?We have that all up to par,? he said. The ISO only rates the effectiveness of municipal departments in fighting structure fires.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.