Improved fire rating could reduce property insurance rates

By Kelcy Dolan
Posted 5/24/16

Thanks to a new and higher rating for the Warwick Fire Department by Public Protection Classification survey (PPC), issued by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), Warwick could possibly see a decrease in their property insurance rates.

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Improved fire rating could reduce property insurance rates

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Thanks to a new and higher rating for the Warwick Fire Department by Public Protection Classification survey (PPC), issued by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), Warwick could possibly see a decrease in their property insurance rates.

Last Thursday, May 19, the department hosted a press conference to announce not only the improved PPC rating but also that Warwick’s Fire Department was awarded the 2016 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Level Recognition Award by the American Heart Association.

Concerning the PPC, representative from ISO visit different departments, looking at various factors in putting out a medium-sized residential fire, such as communication systems, fire flow, geographical location of trucks, firefighter training and more to determine a 1 to 10 rating using standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association. The department was last reviewed in 2003, and Warwick was issued a “3.” Now, the department was rated a “2,” 1 being the best. Less than 1,200 of the more than 50,000 fire departments reviewed received a 2.

“We are on the top tier in the country; we are in good company,” Fire Chief James McLaughlin said. “This rating gages our preparedness and ability to put out a residential fire. This proves we can get there quick and put out a fire in a timely fashion. That should be a relief to the community.”

Since the last rating, McLaughlin said the department has made major improvements, including adding the Potowomut station, new communication equipment and the new training tower at Station 8, which allows firefighters to train within the city rather than them traveling for training.

The PPC is also switching protocol and will be rating fire departments more frequently, every four to five years, and McLaughlin’s hope is that Warwick will reach that number 1 rating within that time.

“It’s exciting not just for the department but for the whole city,” McLaughlin said.

Not only does the rating help improve a sense of security for the city, but businesses and homeowners could also see a decrease in insurance rates.

The ISO uses the PPC to establish fair premiums for homeowner and commercial fire insurance, the better the PPC rating the lower insurance rates can be. In general, communities that receive an improved rating can see residential rates decrease by 1 percent and commercial rates decrease by 3.5 percent.

Mayor Scott Avedisian said that decreases in insurance rates is an added bonus, but that the “main thing” to take from the rating is that it’s a “big win for safety.” The improvements made to the fire department in the last 10 years were good and the right thing to do for the city.

Laurie Stephenson, Rhode Island board member of the American Heart Association and a congenital heart disease survivor, also presented the department with the 2016 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Level Recognition Award.

The American Heart Association developed Mission: Lifeline to help improve outcomes for heart attack patients by bringing together healthcare providers, pre-hospital providers and community members in a proactive system to improve lives.

The Warwick Fire Department has achieved the 2016 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold Level Recognition Award. This award is based upon the achievements as identified through the agency’s online application submission of data representative of care delivered in 2015.

Stephenson said that EMS professionals are key in Mission: Lifeline’s success and with the right training allow them not only to quickly identify a heart attack but also to promptly notify hospitals and deliver a patient in a timely manner.

With protocol derived from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, Warwick is assisting to improve the outcomes of heart attack patients.

To be recognized by Mission: Lifeline, a department must have given 75 percent or more of their patients 35 and older, experiencing chest pains, an EKG as well as 75 percent of more of suffering from an actual heart attack receive treatment in under 90 minutes from first medical contact. In both cases the Warwick Fire Department has exceeded the standard with around 90 and 82 percent, respectively.

Last year was the first year Warwick participated and received a silver recognition. You can only receive the gold recognition to having met the standards at least two years in a row. Warwick was one of two communities in the state to receive the gold recognition, the other being Westerly.

“As a congenital heart disease survivor I want to extend my personal and heartfelt thanks and congratulations to your amazing team for the work you do and the lives you save every day,” Stephenson said.

Jason Umbenhaer, EMS Coordinator for the Warwick Fire Department, said, “This is what comes with great collaboration between the people in the field, training hard to provide the best medical care for patients they can and a city and chief supporting that, providing the tools needed to keep that going. It’s good for Warwick.”

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  • richardcorrente

    Chief McLaughlin's statement that Warwick's new higher rating for the quality of their service might reduce homeowners insurance rates is 100% accurate. As a former licensed insurance producer, I studied the cause and effect of insurance rates for years, and the better the fire departments service is, the lower the risk. The lower the risk, the lower the rate and no one will question the quality of service from the Warwick Fire Department. It is among the best in the nation.

    One homeowners insurance tip. Shop around every 4 or 5 years. Insurance companies know we are all creatures of habit and they all raise their rates every few years because of that. Switching every 4 or 5 years will save you money without hurting your coverage. Also, mention that you are aware of the new, higher rating in Warwick to insure that the insurance company knows that "you know". Otherwise they might not reduce your premium. They want your money almost as much as you do!

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor

    Tuesday, May 24, 2016 Report this