Prescott ISO rating drops to 4
PRESCOTT – There’s good news in Prescott when it comes to fire insurance premiums – they should be going down.
David Gummeson, Prescott Fire Chief, aid the fire rating for Prescott is now at 4, down from 7 according to ISO data. ISO ratings go from 1-10, with 10 being the worst rating and 1 the best, and also the hardest to achieve. “For a city this size,” he said, “a rating of 4 is good. Prescott was a class 7 more than 20 years.
Gummeson made this announcement Wednesday morning at the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office. He said the Prescott Fire Department (PFD) had to go through the interview process, make purchases for the department and explain how many gallons per minute go through hydrants in town, along with how fast the department responds (four minutes from the first tone until firefighters arrive at the scene).
He pointed out the PFD personnel does more than fight fires. While it’s a volunteer department, the firemen have been trained to do extractions at wrecks, high angle rescues, swift water rescues and has four certified SCUBA divers. “This is something Hope and Arkadelphia doesn’t have,” he said of the training. Additionally, Gummeson added, the PFD can assist in search and rescue missions with navigation capabilities, thermal cameras and night vision.
For each point dropped on the ISO scale, premiums should drop $100 per $1,000, so local homeowners should see a $300 decrease in their annual fire insurance costs – depending on the insurance company they use.
The department has 16 firemen and three trucks, along with a chaplain. All of the firemen have medical training, from being First Aid certified to basic EMT certification, so they can assist the injured until ambulance personnel arrives on the scene.
“This is a great bunch of guys,” Prescott Mayor Terry Oliver said. “They’re dedicated and train every Tuesday night. They go where they’re needed and get along well.
The ISO rating also gauges how many fire hydrants a city has, along with how many fire stations and personnel it has. Gummeson said Prescott has two locations and primarily operates within the Prescott city limits but can go outside the city if requested.
When asked what it would take to drop to a level 3 rating, Gummeson said the city would need a backup system for 911, which currently operates off a redundancy system. Dropping below a three, he said, would require a full-time department with firefighters being on hand 24/7.
Gummesn has been fire chief for three years, and has been with the department since 2000. He also wears other hats, being the deputy 911 coordinator, Office of Emergency Services coordinator and Nevada County Coroner.
He added the firemen get paid for each call responded to, no matter how long they’re on the scene. “It’s not something you could make a living at, these men are dedicated to the community.”
