A
pair of rural volunteer fire departments are working together to improve
preparedness and, their leaders hope, better their departments’ fire protection
ratings.
And
that could lead to lower the insurance rates for area property owners.
Chief
Mitch Flynn of the Steese Area Volunteer Fire Department said his department is
conducting joint training exercises with the North Star Volunteer Fire
Department.
North
Star Chief Jeff Tucker said the joint training effort began last year and
recently became more structured.
It
focuses on increasing volunteer staff levels and improving training programs
and record keeping, he said, and sometimes involves buying new equipment.
Similar
proactive, team approaches are occasionally used by neighboring fire
departments preparing for an evaluation, said Dave Tyler, who directs emergency
management for the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Units
that collaborate can often save money and resources while strengthening their
capabilities at the same time, he said.
“Chief
Flynn and Chief Tucker have done a great job of getting the most out of what
they have,” Tyler said.
Fire
departments are assigned a public protection classification by the Insurance
Service Office, a classification Flynn and Tucker said has a significant impact
in determining the amount of money property owners in their respective service
areas pay for fire insurance.
Flynn
said an improved rating could mean a 20 percent reduction in the average
insurance bill paid by property owners in the service areas.
Preparedness
is evaluated on a number of levels, Tucker said, so the two departments are
training in a couple of areas.
For
example, firefighter teams are working to improve their ability to haul water
from a water source to a fire scene.
The
Steese Area Volunteer Fire Department has also purchased a new engine and other
equipment over the past five years in preparation of its next fire preparedness
evaluation, which Flynn said could occur as early as this fall.
The
effort began shortly after voters increased the fire service area’s property
tax rate in 2002.
The
evaluations include a look at the departments’ equipment, Flynn noted.
“We’re
putting the money to good use,” he said of the tax increase.
The
Ester Volunteer Fire Department and Chena Goldstream Fire and Rescue have
improved their ratings within the past five years.
Flynn
said his department’s collaboration with the North Star department has been
helped by advice from the Ester department and others familiar with the
business of fighting fires.