A report recently released by the Insurance Services Office of Marlton, New Jersey, shows the local department has moved up a notch on the 10-point scale. Seven years ago, Froehlich said, "we were just barely a Class 3. Now we're just barely a Class 2, starting in January."
To put that in perspective, there are 2,410 Class 3 departments in the country, while there are only 750 Class 2s. And there are only 60 Class 1 departments, which Froehlich characterized as "departments that can afford to put a lot of people on scene."
So what is the change going to save property owners in fire insurance premiums? "It depends on the company," Froehlich replied. "It's not like out in the county when they drop from a 9 to a 6; there are big savings there."
He checked with three different insurance companies: One said the owner of a house worth $100,000 would save about $10 a year.
"One company told me for homeowners it won't make any difference. So it's probably going to be minimal difference when we look at the homeowners."
Savings for industry will vary by insurance company, he said, recommending firms check with their insurance agent and perhaps do a little shopping around. "Everybody's going to have to look at their insurance company and ask what this will do. It may save them 2 or 3 percent."
Even though the savings may be minimal for homeowners or individual industries, Froehlich pointed out, the cumulative effect of fire insurance savings across the entire community over the years could be significant.
Holding onto that Class 2 rating will mostly be up to the firefighters, he said. "The only place we can make up any more points is in the training." The Henderson Water Utility is already doing an excellent job providing adequate water, he said. "The water department did great, 34.71 (points) out of 40."
Some things that could make big differences probably aren't in the cards: "The (fire) stations are where they're at," he said, and it's doubtful the Henderson City Commission will authorize hiring more firefighters. And buying another aerial ladder truck would also be expensive
ISO will be back in five years to take another look at the Fire Department's efficiency. "There are things we've got to keep doing to keep up," the chief said. "The firefighters are going to be working hard. I'd like to thank all the firefighters for all their hard work to help us get to this."
———
©2014 The Gleaner (Henderson, Ky.)
Visit The Gleaner (Henderson, Ky.) at www.courierpress.com/news/gleaner
Distributed by MCT Information Services
