Improved ISO fire rating should lower home insurance premiums

Lovell town councilman Bob Mangus had some good news for fellow town elected officials and the citizens of Lovell last week: an improved insurance rating for the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department that should mean lower premiums for Lovell homeowners.

Mangus, for years the LVFD assistant chief until recently, reported that the Insurance Services Office (ISO) out of New Jersey recently completed an audit of the fire department and gave Lovell a glowing review.

“Every five years or so they’re supposed to do an audit of the fire department – our equipment, response, training and the town’s ability to supply water,” Mangus said in a follow-up interview. “They report back to the insurance companies, and that is reflected in insurance rates. The lower score you get, the better off you are. It’s good for a five-mile radius around the fire station.”

ISO arrived a few months ago to audit all records including training records, calls and equipment. As assistant chief and station manager, Mangus and wife Keela had everything laid out for the auditor, and the Lovell department did well.

For instance, Mangus said, the department had to prove that it has a structure pumper that can pump 750 gallons per minute, and Lovell has two pumpers that can pump more than 1,200 gallons per minute. The department must also have a 2,500-gallon tender (tanker), and Lovell has two of that capacity.

“You have to carry (the required) hose, ladders, equipment, air packs and make sure you have nine guys (responding) per fire,” Mangus said. “We usually have around 18 on scene or at the hall. They give you a grade on everything you have, even public training with school kids and fire investigation; the state does ours, which is a plus.

“They grade the town’s water supply, and they flow test hydrants. We did quite well and gained a few points.”

According to the ISO report, the department was audited in the following categories: Emergency Communications, 10 percent; Fire Department, 50 percent; and Water Supply, 40 percent. Lovell received 6.7 out of 10 in “earned credit” in the Emergency Communications category, 24.36 out of 50 in Fire Department and 33.12 out of 40 in Water Supply. Each major category is broken down into multiple subcategories.

Where the LVFD didn’t score as well was in things like requiring 20 hours of training per month for each fireman, which is practically impossible for a volunteer fire department, Mangus said, noting that the requirement is based on professional, full-time departments.

“We’re not a full-time department. We can’t do it,” he said. “We got about as many points as we can. We were at level 47, and we raised it to 60.84, which put us in category 4 (compared to the former rating of category 6).

There were a couple of head-scratchers, places where the department wasn’t shown to have something but does, like getting a zero for not having a reserve pumper, but the department does have one, Mangus said. “If the department could prove those areas, the score might rise to 63 or so,” he added.

“We had hoped to bump the rating to a 5, and when it came out as a 4, I was really happy,” Mangus said. “But insurance companies will have to recognize it. They won’t do it for you. You’ll have to ask your insurance company after April 1.

“Keela and I spent a lot of time pulling records. Everything we could provide for them, we did. They also did a walk-through (to examine equipment in the station and on trucks). It also pays to send two guys ahead of the trucks to make a call on what needs to be done before the trucks arrive. Everything we can do to put a fire out quicker, that’s what we’re here for.”

Public comment

During the public comment portion of the February 11 meeting, Audrey Bay of the 4-Corners Bar requested that the town bring back the 24-hour permit for Mustang Days, adding that, in years past, it was “just one night” and “all we’ve ever asked.” The former ordinance allowed bars to stay open all night on the Saturday night/Sunday morning of Mustang Days.

Town administrator Jed Nebel said the policy was changed, in part, because of staffing issues and noted that it would take an ordinance change to reinstate the practice.

“It’s just a few hours, but it helps us,” Bay said. “It gives us a cushion for the really slow months. We have food all night long.”

Though the permit allowed all establishments to stay open for 24 hours on the Saturday of Mustang Days, “the last few years it’s just been us,” Bay said, adding that most customers clear out by 5 a.m.

The council agreed to look into reinstating the 24-hour permit process.

In other business February 11:

• Kent Jones of Flatirons Bank of Boulder, Colorado, spoke to the council about the ongoing issue involving the town working with the bank and Justice Escrow to establish qualified settlement funds and the dispute with an eastern financial institution (see story last week). The council went into executive session for about 15 minutes and took no action after reconvening.

The council called a special session for Wednesday, Feb. 19, to potentially sign an engagement letter that Nebel said would allow the town to hire outside legal counsel to advise the town on the QSF matter.

• The council passed on second reading Ordinance 1019, which Nebel said cleans up language in the town code under the garbage rates section of the code regarding trash receptacles to address confusion among the terms containers, dumpsters and receptacles. Nebel said the ordinance does not change garbage rates recently passed.

• The council voted to set the annual spring-cleaning period for April 15 through May 31 and request an open burning waiver from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for March through May and September through November (weekends only).

• With the town having received the second supplemental funding payment from the State of Wyoming, Lovell clerk/treasurer Colleen Tippetts requested that the town move $350,000 from the checking account at the Bank of Lovell to the savings account at the same bank. The council voted to move the funds.

• Nebel updated the council regarding a mineral royalties grant the town applied for from the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments. The agency granted partial approval but had questions, he said, adding that the town can resubmit the grant but must do so by February 20.

• Nebel said he would like to hold a public meeting regarding the mountain bike trail development project in March, and he said the Constitution Park project should be completed this spring. He also praised the public works crew for snow removal efforts.

Newman concluded the meeting by expressing “deepest sorrow” for the shootings in Byron that took place the day before. He called the incident “heartbreaking” and said he was grateful for the first responders who went to the scene, including two Lovell police officers, adding, “That stuff doesn’t just go away.”