Joyce Hanz
The Valley News-Dispatch, Tarentum, Pa.
(TNS)
Mar. 7—Sometimes less is more.
Especially when it comes to ISO fire safety ratings.
Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company Chief John Foster hopes to reduce the company’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating from a 6 to a lower number, after receiving a one-point increase during the last ISO inspection in 2020. The lower the number the better the rating.
“We had a 5 and they downgraded us to a 6, primarily based on the age of our equipment and procedures,” Foster said.
The Insurance Services Office is an independent, for-profit organization. Its scores result in a Public Protection Classification on a scale of 1 to 10, and those resultscan impact homeowners.
Insurance providers consider the ISO’s ratings, which measure a community’s fire preparedness in case of an emergency.
They use the score to help them determine home insurance rates because a home that is less likely to be severely damaged by fire is cheaper to insure.
The downgrade in the rating means Leechburg residents are paying about $35 per year, per resident, Foster said.
Foster said the majority of the equipment used by his firefighters is more than 60 years old, and its age is becoming a detriment to the ISO rating.
“I want to emphasize that the borough citizens were never in any danger,” he said. “Our equipment works; it’s just old and outdated, and it does affect ratings.”
The ISO rating evaluates municipal fire protection efforts in four key areas: emergency communications systems, water supply, community risk reduction and fire department effectiveness.
The ISO does not publicly release scores.
Council chips in Covid relief funds
Foster said it will cost $40,000 to upgrade the company’s fire equipment.
He asked Leechburg Council to donate $20,000 to the fire company for new equipment, which council unanimously approved Feb. 14.
“It’s tremendous,” Foster said. “We fundraise constantly. It’s an inside joke but true: We aren’t professional firefighters; we’re professional fundraisers.
“We’re fortunate to have the support and generosity from the borough. The community does support us very well.”
Foster said he is concerned the outdated equipment is an accident waiting to happen.
“We’re at the point where an ax could fly off the handle, fly through the air, hit somebody in the head and split their head open,” he said.
Leechburg Mayor Tony Roppolo reassured Leechburg residents that fire equipment safety is a priority and the new equipment upgrade is necessary.
“I am fine with it. It’s for the betterment for the entire community, and it will help our insurance coverage premiums,” Roppolo said.
The donated funds will come from the borough’s covid-19 pandemic relief fund.
“Covid funds are for the people, and this will help the people,” Roppolo said.
Foster said the new equipment is expected to be delivered in several weeks.
The old equipment will be donated to an organization that refurbishes fire equipment.
Foster said he is going to request a re-inspection this year because he doesn’t want to wait until the next evaluation, scheduled for 2024, to try to lower the ISO score.
“We’re trying to get our procedures and policies updated and written so we can do another inspection. I feel like we can get our rating down to a 4 with the new equipment,” he said.
Joyce Hanz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Joyce by emai