City fire service boosts grading

• Two Harbors Fire Department

The Two Harbors Fire Department did some training Oct. 17 using a donated structure from Joel and Shari MacLeod. The department just got a boost in its performance rating, meaning homeowners could save some money.

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• Fire department has good people

The Insurances Services Organization (ISO) has improved the rating of the Two Harbors Fire Department, meaning homeowners in the department’s coverage area could see lower rates on insurance for their property.

Low numbers are the key to the ISO evaluation process and the department went from a 6/9 rating to a 5/6. “The lower the ISO rating the better the fire protection, and thus the lower the fire insurance costs,” the report said.

The first number is for areas within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant and the second is for those outside that range. The current ISO rating is among the best in the state. Just 579 ratings fall in the 3-6 range while the rest of the rankings – 1,510 – are 7 or higher.

The lower the ISO rating the better the fire protection, and thus the lower the fire insurance costs.

Ten percent of the rating comes from the handling of emergency calls, which falls to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Water supply accounts for 40 percent of the ranking, including the municipal hydrant system managed by the city and the mobile water supply via water shuttles. Fire department equipment, personnel, and training account for 50 percent of the rating.

The fire department is currently seeking bids on a major capital improvement, a new main truck.

Areas beyond five road miles from a fire station are not rated. Some insurance carriers will extend the designation and some will take into account other water supply sources, such as standing water sources in rural areas to draw water from.

Two Harbors Fire Department Chief Mark Schlangen was happy with the report. “It takes a whole community to have a successful volunteer fire department,” he said.

Schlangen said it’s important that county residents know the rating has improved and “the department continues to provide the best service possible.”

Schlangen will make a full report to the Two Harbors City Council at its Jan. 10 meeting.

Tags: two harbors, lake county, news