[Southsider2k12]

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...430784ec75.html

Some Michigan City-area homeowners could enjoy a savings on insurance costs due to a maximum fire department rating.

The Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department was recently given a 5 fire suppression rating by Insurance Services Office, Inc., a leading source of information about property/casualty insurance risk.

While other departments enjoy a better rating, a 5 was the best possible score for the fire department given its rural location and lack of municipal water in most locations, Springfield Township Trustee Howard Conley said.

Conley said the 5 rating means as much as $150 to $200 in lower fire insurance costs for homeowners annually.

"I'm really excited about this," Conley said.

He said the concerted effort to attain the best possible rating began six years ago.

When Conley was first elected 32 years ago, he said the department had a 1969 pumper and an Army tank, which was used to hold water.

Now, the department has two pumpers and two tankers along with other equipment with the oldest piece being made in 1999, he said.

Besides updated equipment, other things done to achieve the higher rating was making sure all firefighters during training achieve a first class rating.

Read more: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/laporte...l#ixzz1QU4fDU7y

[Ang]

What this means to homeowners in the area:

Contact your homeowner's insurance company to advise them the protection class for your area has gone down to a 5. At renewal, they will correct that number and your homeowner's premium will go way down.

What Fire Protection Class is is the response time of the local fire department. Typically, city fire departments are between 3-5, the lower the number, the faster the response time. Volunteer departments are typically between 7-10 (10 being the highest with the slowest response time) and result in higher premiums.

For a volunteer fire department to be at a 5 is absolutely incredible. Congratulations to the men &/or women of the Sprinfield Volunteer Fire Deparment! You people got it going on!!!!

[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/articles/2011/0...1c459497287.txt

Survey: Volunteer fire department shows improvement

By Tim Moran
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, July 7, 2011 5:22 PM CDT
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — The Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department has made quite an improvement as of late.

That’s according to a recent Public Protection Classification survey conducted by Chicago’s Insurance Services Office Inc.

At the fire department’s request, a survey is conducted yearly on the equipment, response time, water supply and communication. The rating system is set so a Class 1 is the best and a Class 10 the worst.

This year’s survey indicated Springfield Township’s department as a Class 5, which improved significantly from its Class 9 rating when last year’s survey was conducted.

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“We’ve come a long way,” said Howard Conley, Springfield Township Volunteer Fire Department trustee. “We’ve been at a 9 for 32 years.”

Conley and Chief Steve Marvel credit the improved score on the “equipment, response time, water and training.

“We’ve enhanced our 911 service as well, with a new feature that notified two departments every time there is a structure fire.”

Conley and Marvel also pointed to their purchase of new vehicles, including two 1999 tankers and a 2003 and 2006 Ferrara as the primary pumpers.

“I would put this volunteer fire department second to none in La Porte County,” Conley said. “With our equipment, training and knowledge, we don’t take a back seat to anybody.”

When Conley and Marvel first heard of the survey results earlier last week, they knew the significance of the improved score.

“I was ecstatic,” Marvel said. “We’ve been working hard ever since I became chief to get this done.”

Conley also said he was “elated,” crediting a team effort.

“All members of the fire department worked together to accomplish a goal to protect the people of Springfield Township and their homes.”

According to Conley, the survey could save residents within a five-mile radius of the station at 7377 N. County Road 300 West up to $200 in insurance costs.

To improve the score even more next year, Conley said the department is working on acquiring a third tanker, which the ISO said would be “a needed plus.”