Groveland Twp.- After an estimated $1.5 million and five years, township officials are confident that residents will have lower home insurance rates and outstanding fire protection.
According to township officials, following an extensive fire department audit last August, an ISO rating of four was awarded to the township. Previously, the township’s ISO rating was nine. The ISO scale for fire protection ranges from 10 to one, the lower the number, the greater the fire protection.
The ISO, International Organization for Standardization, is a network of the national standards institutes of 156 countries making a framework, or a common technological language, between suppliers and their customers. In the case of fire departments like Groveland Township, the ISO provides set standards for fire protection.
Steve McGee, township fire chief, says a combination of strategically placed fire hydrants, fire stations, and updated equipment has qualified the township for a lower ISO rating, prompting lower house insurance rates for residents.
‘It’s been a huge project. The by-product for residents is getting a much improved fire department,? said McGee.
McGee added that costs have remained constant through the lengthy project. Currently, township residents pay 3.5 mills for fire protection, or $350 each year in taxes for a $200,000 home. Some of the funding for the project has come from the township’s general fund.
Highlights of the project:
nAt a cost of $20,000 to $25,000 each, McGee says currently 11 self-contained fire protection wells are operational around the township. In addition to self-contained fire protection wells, McGee says key in the ISO process is the availability of water, including certified lakes or ponds that can be used to draw from in the event of a fire.
‘We have 10 bodies of water in the township that qualify for sources of standing bodies,? said McGee.
nExtensive arrangements with other stations in the area for assistance.
nThe township’s 70 commercial buildings are now inspected twice per year.
nFirefighter training has been increased from four sessions per month to eight sessions per month.
nTwo new fire engines were added to the fleet, which include water pumping at 300 gallons per minute.
n Only 11 of the township’s 2,300 homes are not within 5 miles of a township fire station.
The township fire department includes five full-time firefighters and 47 part-time. Two tanker trucks, one equipment truck, one brush fire truck, four life support vehicles. The department services 2,300 households and 70 businesses within the township with a population of about 6,200 residents. McGee says the township also serves an additional 85,000 vehicles that travel I-75 each day. Seasonal visitors to the township include about 20,000 daily visitors to the Renaissance Festival during late summer, about 5,000 to Mt. Holly ski resort and about 2,000 to parks.
The savings from a lower ISO rating for residents will vary, say insurance agents.
Amy Switzenberg, an agent for Brandon Underwriters, 422 Mill St., Ortonville, says once the new ISO rating is determined, homeowners need to contact their insurance company.
‘Every insurance company is different when you go from an ISO of nine to a four,’she said.
‘Residents will realize an insurance savings, but that will vary per company. They need to call us for a re-quote.There will be a decrease, but it will depend on the amount of coverage, there’s too many factors to speculate.?