July 16, 2007

ISO improves rating of department

       A recent survey of the Fire Protection Services for the area located within the White River Township Fire Protection District conducted by the Insurance Services Office located in Chicago Illinois, revealed a significant improvement of the fire protection services offered by the White River Township Fire Department.  The Insurance Services Office (ISO) evaluates the Fire Insurance Classification for Municipalities and Townships in order to establish a baseline that affects insurances costs for policyholders in that area. The previous ISO rating for the White River Twp Fire Protection District was a Four in areas within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant and within three miles of a fire station, and for those areas of more than three miles from a fire station and over 1000 feet from a fire hydrant the rating was a Nine. The ISO rating affects the cost of a property owner’s fire insurance rates. A business or homeowner owner located in a Municipality with the ISO rating of Ten could possibly pay twice as much for Fire Insurance as that same owner would if his home or business was located in a municipality that had an ISO rating of One.

         The ISO announced today that the recent evaluation improved the rating from a four to a three in the areas within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant and within five miles of a fire station. The rating remained the same for those areas over five miles from a fire station or within five miles of a fire station but over 1000 feet from a fire hydrant.  The evaluation that ISO conducted graded the Fire Protection District on such items as how emergencies are received and dispatched to the fire department, reserve fire apparatus, condition of in-service apparatus, fire station locations, number of personnel on duty, training facilities, municipal water system, hydrant layouts, fire prevention and inspection activities and maintenance of fire apparatus.

         The results of the evaluation were mostly favorable to the Fire Protection District, however it did reveal some areas for improvement to occur. The four lowest areas that the Insurance Services Office scored the fire district were in areas such as dispatch/communications facility, insufficient firefighter staffing, and insufficient water main capacity and fire hydrant distribution within some areas of the Fire District.  ISO states that “the new classifications may result in a decrease in the advisory property insurance calculations for many insured properties with the district.” The change will affect properties to a degree depending upon the type of building construction, the hazards of occupancy and other factors. Insurance policyholders should contact their agent or company to determine the effect this change in classification might have on their policies.
 
   

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