Fire won't wait
By James D. Ritchie

A new program is helping fire departments upgrade their fire-fighting effectiveness, especially in rural areas. The extra protection the new program provides to the local residents is lowering their insurance rates.

A pilot program started last spring by the Southwest Missouri RC&D (Resource Conservation and Development) is helping fire departments in 15 southwest Missouri counties improve their fire-fighting capabilities.

"This is strictly a voluntary program," said Gary Rostic, RC&D fire protection consultant who heads the program. "I sit down with department personnel and go through a checklist of equipment, services, staffing and training needed. It takes a few hours of a fire chief's time, but it can save both the department and property owners a substantial amount of money."

The program is funded with grants from the U.S. Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Rostic, a former career firefighter, works with the 128 fire departments to improve their effectiveness and in the process lower property insurance rates.

Rostic works close with rural fire departments. Compared with their big-town counterparts, most rural departments are at a disadvantage. For one thing, some districts protect property across 100 or more square miles of area, which lengthens response times. Access can be another hurdle--fires do not always occur on hard-surfaced roads.

But perhaps the biggest challenge faced by most rural firefighters is a shortage of resources. Many rural departments (six out of 10 in southwest Missouri) are staffed wholly or in part by unpaid volunteers and are funded by the sale of memberships (tags) rather than tax revenues. Limited resources not only impact fire-fighting effectiveness but also property insurance costs.

Fire departments are ranked by the Insurance Service Office (ISO) on their ability to reach and combat fires. ISO ratings are assigned on a numerical scale, with higher numbers indicating more insurance risk. The rating system takes into account communications, staffing, equipment and available water supply.

"The usual ISO ratings for a department range from 5 to 10," said Rostic. "I am helping departments in southwest Missouri achieve an ISO of Class 8 or lower."

While not all insurance companies set rates precisely on ISO classes, most use ISO guidelines in setting coverage premiums. For example, $70,000 worth of coverage in an ISO Class 7 district has an average premium cost of $401 annually. In a district rated Class 10, the premium jumps to $750 per year.

"The big breaks on premium costs are from Class 10 down to about Class 6 or 7," Rostic said. "Some improvements are critical to getting a better ISO rating. For example, a service vehicle equipped with extra supplies and equipment makes a big difference."

"Getting 911 dispatching here let us go from ISO Class 9 to Class 7," said Rich Stirts, chief of the Logan-Rogersville Fire Department, which serves 142 square miles in parts of three counties. "In addition, adding more water supplies--chiefly through ponds and dry hydrants--has helped us improve our ISO rating."

"One problem has been that ISO representatives and local fire departments have not been talking the same language," added Rostic. "I have developed a good working relationship with both regional ISO people and with fire departments in southwest Missouri. Much of what I do is to act as a sort of intermediary link between ISO and fire departments."

In addition, Rostic serves as liaison between departments and sources of equipment, such as the military, MDC, etc. This lets fire departments upgrade equipment without the outlay new purchases would incur.

"There is used but serviceable fire-fighting equipment available to fire districts on a free lease basis," he said. "You just need to know where to look."

Based on how well the RC&D program has worked during the first few months of its existence, Rostic says a professional fire consultant should be available to work with fire departments in each of Missouri's nine fire protection regions.

"People in other states are watching how well this program works," he said. "It's a win-win situation. We're helping fire departments upgrade their fire-fighting capabilities and at the same time lowering insurance rates for property owners."