Measure A Series: Part 2

This information is the second in a series brought to you by, Massey Insurance Services. At Massey Insurance we want our clients and neighbors to be aware of ways to further save money while striving to ensure you have protection against all possible eventualities.  You never know when you might need help!

What is an ISO rating?

With all of this talk about increasing insurance rates, due to local fire department’s quality determining their ISO rating, let’s look to see what goes into an ISO rating.

The rating system has a range from 1- the best, to 10- the worst. Class 1 means there is an excellent fire protection system, and class 10 represents almost no protection. Classes 9 and 10 are both indicators of rural areas without good fire hydrants or departments.

50% of the total classification number comes from the quality of the fire department. This means: proper trucks, ladders, staffing, training, and where the stations are located.

The next 40% comes from your local water supply system. This means: the condition, inspection, maintenance of fire hydrants, and most importantly a bigger amount of water available than the amount needed to extinguish a fire.

The remaining 10% is factored according to fire alarm and communications systems: telephone lines, a full staff, and the quality of the dispatch system.

As you can see, a very LARGE factor in this rating comes from the quality of the fire department and staff itself. So if there is a fire department that is handicapped by closed stations, and not being fully staffed, people in need are not receiving the best resources they need in a timely manner.

If you haven’t already heard, there will be a new measure on the ballot in November that will increase property tax to $126.90 a year, which will open all of our closed fire stations, and hire new fire personnel to better serve our community. Please vote yes on the new fire tax measure on November 8th, 2016!

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