Combining two FD's -- ISO consequences

[EastKyFF]

To my ISO expert friends--

A neighboring department is considering shutting down. We have always rolled automatic mutual aid with them, but they have never had ISO come do a survey. We are a split 6/9 and the inspector told our chief that if we took that department on as a substation, it would knock our six back to an eight or so.

The other department has a pumper (never tested) and a tanker. We have two pumpers, one tanker, and a service truck. Both have quite a few hydrants.

Is there any way to work on things with them prior to taking them over to be able to take them over without taking a hit on our own rating?

[LHS*]

//A neighboring department is considering shutting down. We have always rolled automatic mutual aid with them, but they have never had ISO come do a survey.

So worse case you’d get at least 10$% more credit for your neighbor seeing as how you would no longer lose auto aid demerits. Plus your spare engines and service companies could be the same.

//We are a split 6/9 and the inspector told our chief that if we took that department on as a substation, it would knock our six back to an eight or so.

Not likely, you see the Class 9 means they don’t have a water system. So everything in your district more than 1000 feet from a fire hydrant is already a class 9. Adding more class 9 area doesn’t change a thing.

You could always combine and have a written contract that says you provide services for their portion of the tax dollars and still have separate grades for both areas.

//The other department has a pumper (never tested) and a tanker.

So you’ll get 75% credit for their engine. You gain a tanker. Obviously with a Class 9 you are not getting credit for anything other than 300 gallons of water, a 50 gpm pump and 4 guys from the other station.

//We have two pumpers, one tanker, and a service truck. Both have quite a few hydrants.

All your apparatus is only counting in the areas within 1000 feet of a hydrant outside that nothing is counting.

//Is there any way to work on things with them prior to taking them over to be able to take them over without taking a hit on our own rating?

Yes contract service.

Whatever you do, you need to form a plan to increase the Class 6 areas. Based on this weekends numbers in your region, you are looking at as much as a $1300 difference between homes covered by the Class 6 and the Class 9. The people would give anything to the fire department to get some of that money back.

www.isoslayer.com (free book on this topic)

[EastKyFF]

LHS--

I thought you'd say what you said. I couldn't see how additional class 9 area would hurt us.

Improving that Class 9 area is goal #1 right now, but we would have to put up more station room somewhere to house additional tankers. (We need to do tanker shuttles because our hydrants are very poor & on small lines, so LDH would not work for us.)

When only 29% of the people give us any money at all, it's tough to expand the station or build others. We were voted down on a tax district two years ago.