All This Fluffy Snow Is Hiding The Fire Hydrants

[Henry]

For those of you capable of helping out, maybe you could help out and shovel out some of the fire hydrants - You never know when the fire department needs to get to one, and every second counts.

[7F24]

Thanks Henry.

[7F24]

I noticed most of the hydrants are buried again, I'm sure we will try to get a group together soon to clear them.  However, if you have a hydrant near your home and you have a fire, I don't think your insurance company would like seeing a fire report saying the fire department spent the first 5 minutes on scene trying to find the hydrant. 

[David Shea]

I just received my latest home owners insurance bill.  To my surprise I was levied a 62% increase in premium.  This type of increase seemed extreme considering that we have not filed a claim against our policy since inception.  I called my agent to see why the new increase.

He instructed me that the Fairfax Fire department has a 6/9 rating by the insurance industry.  My carrier has changed the way premiums are calculated.  In the past we were given the preferred rating base on the proximity of our home to the fire station.  Now in order to have the preferred insurance rating a home  has to have a fire hydrant within 1000 ft.  Since the our home does not have a hydrant within 1000 ft we no longer are afforded this benefit.

I sure do wish that I had a fire hydrant to shovel out in front of my home!  Nobody would need to remind me to shovel it out.  If I could pay myself the 62% increase to shovel out a hydrant, I would do it in a second.  Over a 10 year period this new TAX on our property amounts to a good size amount of money.

Chief Hayes, is there any chance that you could put a hydrant in front of my house?  I promise to shovel it out.

[mkr]

That is terrible David!  I would shop around agencies for insurance. 

And for those with hydrants, YES, you should get them cleared out...... I am with David on this one.  We would love one in front of our home   Thank you again Fairfax Fire Dept for saving so much of my home when it was on fire and you had to haul water in!

[slpott]

When I was moving to Vermont that was a big deal with our insurance company. I hade to provide them with exact distance. Things you don't think about when buying a home.

[Mike Raburn]

Fire Service area is a HUGE part of your homeowners.....

Get this,,,,THREAD JACK,,,,,,,,,,,, I have to PAY extra for earthquake insurance.

What is that about?

If we did not, any damage caused by an earthquake is not covered.
Sorta like flood insurance.

Good hands,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, me buttocks!

[HayesFXFD17]

Thank you to those whom have taken the time to shovel their hydrants out.  We will be assigning crews to clean hydrants early this week. 

Dave I understand your frustration.  I live within the zone 6 district, within 1000' of a hydrant and my homeowners took a about 35% increase.  I would love to have a hydrant system that would provide coverage town wide but as many know with our limited municipal water department/system that is both financially and physically impossible at this time.

The 6/9 rating is as follows:  Class 6 is for all the homes within the municipal water district and are within 1000' of a municipal hydrant.  (Dry hydrants DO NOT count).  All the rest of the town falls under the class 9 rating. 

For those interested in understanding more about the ISO rating system you can click this link
http://www.isomitigation.com/ppc/2000/ppc2001.html 

Justin Hayes
Fire Chief
Fairfax Fire

[PotterFXFD]

 Most insurance companys have used the 1000' rule for years. I have always chuckled when a insurance comapnay or new home owner calls me to find out where there closest hydrant is and I say 5 miles they go

WHAT?

Welcome to rural america

[Henry]

I have heard the Fire Department talking on the scanner and I hear them communicating as to where the nearest water supply might be.  I wonder if any of these ponds or streams count as a Fire Hydrant??

[al brodeur]

an added note about fire ins cost some factors that come into play not only hydrants but the size of the mains, water pressure and its ability to be increased for hi demand, size of the pumper the fire co has and the trucks certification by pumper size I mean the flow gpm-gallons per minute, down here in south eastern Pa the ins co's want a 1000 gpm pumper minimum, a large puper for lots of the area covered which has no hydrants.
also the ins co will not credit (here anyway) swimiming pools because they can be drained and most farm pnds are excluded because of acessablity, I know of one where there is a dry hyd from a lake to the road
also the pumpers have to be recertified every ten years. even tanker trucks have required dump gate sizing for filling porta-ponds

[David Shea]

In the course of my work, I was told by a representative of an insurance company, and I quote: " Fire Departments Exist to Protect the Interests of Insurance Companies".  To this I asked him why insurance companies do not pay for the millions of dollars worth of equipment and countless man hours used to secure the financial interest that they have in each property that the insure?

I hope that my family is never in a position to need the services of our fire department, but if that time comes, my only request is to make sure that my family is brought to safety.  Everything else can be replaced, after all... that is what insurance is for.

Chief Hayes, I completely understand that fire hydrants for the entire town is not feasible.  I would much rather have any other discussions regarding this topic with you face to face or on the telephone, not on a public forum.

My point in illustrating the 62% increase in premiums at our location, was to give other homeowners in our town a heads up to keep an eye on this portion of there daily bills. 

 

[Edited Guest]

Done...
Cathy and I cleared this one but hope it never has to be used.
Thanks to the courteous plow truck driver that gave us plenty of room when he noticed what we were doing!

[7F24]

Thank you.

[7F24]

BUMP