In my last column, I wrote about
the layers and pockets of different kinds of fire service throughout Siskiyou County and
the lack of stable funding sources to support them. All of these fire companies are
currently tied together in a net of mutual aid agreements that provides some sort of
service to parts of the county near and far. This means that when one fire department
needs backup, others respond. It also means that stations nearest the emergency are most
likely to be dispatched.
In County Service Area 4 (the bulk of the county) in areas where
folks have failed to fund a local fire service, the nearest fire department will generally
end up responding. Increasingly, departments, such as Scott Valley Fire, are regularly
responding to calls outside the boundaries of their district to properties that pay no
taxes to support the department. One or two departments are re-examining whether they will
continue to regularly respond to properties outside their tax collection zone. This would
only leave CDF and CDF-Amador plan stations along the I-5 corridor to respond, if
available. The better solution would seem to be self-taxation and contracting with
existing or new departments to provide expanded service.
There are a variety of levels of fire service: frontier; rural;
suburban and urban. They vary by the amount of time it takes to travel in response and the
pumping and storage capability of water to fight the fire. They also vary by expectations,
from none, to confining the fire just to the structure, or to the room of origin. Cities
in Siskiyou County are currently responding at a suburban level. Outside the cities, most
departments are responding at the rural level. One main difference is travel response time
– from 5-6 minutes for suburban to 15 minutes for rural.
All non-CDF departments have volunteers. Only one or two have a paid
employee. Because they are not in the fire house, It takes all of them time to “turnout”
and man fire truck when dispatched. The main factor in response travel time is the
distribution of fire stations. The closer fire stations are together, the quicker
personnel can get to the emergency. Most insurers want to property to be within 5 miles of
the nearest fire station.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) assesses local fire services,
ranking them into 10 categories (Class 1 the best, Class 10 the lowest,) and then sells
the information to insurance underwriters to set their property rates. Factors numbers and
types of engines, water supply set aside for fire fighting purposes (including tankers)
and training of personnel. Several departments have a category 9 rating. Many are aiming
for a Class 8B rating. This includes meeting criteria for at least 85% of structures
within five all-weather road miles of a fire station. Mayten just received an 8b rating
and Lake Shastina a 7.
Another standard of cover is having an effective response force. This
means having enough trained people on the fire equipment to perform the tasks needed. On
structural fires, there is a “two in – two out rule.” There must be at
least four responders present before anyone is authorized to enter the building unless a
life is being threatened. There are reportedly more than 400 volunteer firefighters in the
county, although not all of them are currently active.
According to Tres Churchill, insurance companies assign “protection
classes” (1-10) to properties. All insurance companies use ISO ratings in their
assessment. Other factors include the particular risk exposure, vegetation clearance, age
of structure, etc.. A rating of 9-10 considers the structure to be unprotected with high
expectations of a total loss. Most carriers won’t write classes 8-10. Although some
will underwrite 4-8b.
As an example of how this works, within Yreka limits, structures have
a protection class of 4. Outside, structures are in Class 9. With today’s satellite
technology, an address may be input into the system and the class is automatically
assigned, usually without the ability to negotiate. The new systems can also determine
exact distance from fire stations.
What is the impact on the owner’s pocketbook? As an
illustration, the difference in annual insurance premium for a $250,000 house with a $500
deductible might be $1,180 for a Class 4; $1,550 for a Class 8b; while Class 9 and 10
would be $2,476. I would point out that those
who are reluctant to tax themselves for fire service end up paying much more in insurance
premiums.
According to studies, the average per capita contribution to provide
rural and small community fire services is about $100.00
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