GREEN TOWNSHIP VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. Improved rating to affect insurance coverage

Training and new equipment enabled the township to improve its ISO rating.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
GREENFORD -- Improvement in the Green Township Volunteer Fire Department's Insurance Service Office Inc. rating could lead to a reduction in some township homeowners' insurance rates, fire Chief Todd Baird said.
Baird recently received the results of the ISO rating of his department from July 19. The department's rating improved from a Class 9 to a Class 5. He said Monday the new rating will take effect for fire insurance coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2006.
According to information on ISO Web sites, ISO is an independent organization that serves insurance companies and other agencies by providing information about risk. ISO's Public Protection Classification program evaluates communities' fire suppression capabilities based on a variety of factors such as fire station locations, department equipment, staffing and training, the distance of individual properties from fire stations, and fire hydrants, water supply and fire communications.
In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data and assigns a public protection classification -- a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program does not meet ISO's minimum criteria.
Most U.S. insurers of homes and business property use ISO's Public Protection Classification in calculating premiums.
Baird said the southern part of the township, including the portion of Washingtonville village that is in Mahoning County, already has a Class 5 rating. The remainder of the township had a Class 9 rating, however, because it is mostly rural.
A Class 5 rating is exceptional, and nearly unheard of for a rural area because rural areas have limited access to fire hydrants, Baird said.
Baird said the department bought new equipment and completed additional training since the last ISO evaluation 10 years ago.
Other departments assist
He credited neighboring departments such as Leetonia Volunteer Fire Department, Damascus Volunteer Fire Department and Cardinal Joint Fire District in Canfield for helping Green Township lower its ISO rating so significantly.
He said the departments' automatic response agreements with Green Township compensated for the lack of hydrants. He said the agreements mean firefighters from Damascus, Leetonia and Canfield automatically respond to any structure fire in Green Township.
Baird has lived in the township all his life and has been fire chief since 2002. His department has 37 volunteer firefighters, and 22 are also certified emergency medical technicians. He said the department continues to improve its services to meet the needs of the growing township, which has about 3,800 residents.
Baird said residents should contact their insurance companies to alert them to the ISO rating change. He said he thought some could see a reduction in their rates by as much as 25 percent.
Some insurance companies may require notice of the ISO rating change in writing, so Baird has prepared a letter signed by him explaining the change. Copies are available to residents at the Greenford Cupboard, 11975 Lisbon Road.
tullis@vindy.com