Good Question - Does The Age of a Fire Department’s Equipment Really Matter?
Short Answer:
Yes, as the age and serviceability of a fire department’s equipment can have a substantial impact on its response time and fire fighting effectiveness. Additionally, water supply availability as distributed though a community’s water limes and fire hydrants can be a big contributing factor.
Why This is Important to to Building Owners & Business Insurance Professionals:
Around half of a given community’s ISO (Insurance Service Office) Protection Class Rating is based on its personnel, facilities, training, capabilities and equipment. Another 40% is based on the community’s water supply available for fire fighting that includes fire hydrant spacing and the frequency of hydrant inspections and flow testing.
A community’s assigned ISO Protection Class Rating is the greatest single external factor that affects business and home insurance premium rates.
The best IS0 Protection Class Rating of is “1”, which only the West Virginia cities of Huntington and South Charleston have achieved.
95% of the fire departments in West Virginia are either totally or mostly volunteer and will usually have an assigned ISO Protection Class from between 6 to 10, meaning higher property insurance rates that those communities serviced by professional fire departments with better ratings.
Recommended Fire Facility & Equipment Replacement Schedules & Costs:
1. Fire Stations: The average lifespan of a fire station building is around 50-years. However, maintenance and upkeep costs can increase substantially after 40-years and NFPA estimates that a majority of U.S. fire stations are indeed that old. This aging problem is exacerbated by high building replacement costs and budgetary issues.
💰The construction costs of a large, municipal fire station can exceed $15,000,000, while a small, a new rural volunteer fire station can come in at around $1,000,000. These figures do not include building content costs to include office equipment, computers, furniture, communication equipment, security systems, and fire fighting gear.
2. Fire Hydrants: This essential category of fire fighting equipment generally has a lifespan of 50-years, if properly maintained. The common reasons for a shorter hydrant lifespan includes damage by vehicles, vandalism, lack of maintenance and extreme weather conditions. To improve the lifespan and serviceability rate, NFPA Standard 291 recommends that fire hydrants be inspected annually and flow tested every 5-years. This flow testing can also help to remove sediments and other small objects that could partially obstruct water flow.
💰Replacing a fire hydrant can cost between $8,000 to $20,000 per unit. Cost factors will include the hydrant type, labor costs and site conditions. Hydrants that are designed to prevent freezing in subzero temperatures will usually cost more than ones intended for warmer climates.
3. Main Water Lines: Water mains used for fighting purposes will usually have a minimum thickness of 8-inches and a lifespan varying from 20 to 100-years. Galvanized steel pipes have the shortest working life at 20 to 50-years. They are roughly comparable to PVC pipes at 25 to 40-years. And finally, cast iron pipes at 80 to 100-years. A surprising negative factor on water line life is the actual water quality itself. Dirty water, acidity and high mineral content (especially iron) can lead to pipe scaling, clogging and eventual pipe failure.
💰Replacement costs can vary from $50 to $150 per linear foot of pipeline. The replacement variables include the type of replacement pipe, pipeline depth, ground condition, labor costs, and the need to go under streets and roads.
4. Fire Trucks: NFPA recommends that fire fighting vehicles originally purchased new be kept on front line service for 10-years and then for another 10-years as a backup. However, many smaller volunteer fire departments cannot afford the cost of such equipment turnover and will try to keep their emergency vehicles on front line service for 25-years, and then 10-years or more additional years on reserve status.
💰A new fire truck can cost from $500,00 to $1,000,000, largely depending on size and type. A speciality fire truck such as a ladder unit to fight high rise building fires can cost $2,000,000, or more.
5. Ambulances: A fully stocked ambulance vehicle, whether it be a van or truck type can generally last from 7 to 10-years. Ambulances with heavy use in major metropolitan areas will last for 4 to 7-years, while units with light to moderate use in rural areas can last up to 20-years. The vehicle’s lifespan can be highly influenced by the accumulated mileage, maintenance, driver handling and storage conditions. The typically quoted life of a light to medium duty ambulance is put at 250,000-miles.
💰A basic ambulance unit just to transfer non-critical patients between healthcare facilities can cost around $100,000, while a fully equipped emergency service ambulance can carry a price tag of $250,000.
6. Fire Hoses: Largely depending on usage and maintenance, the average 2.5-inch diameter fire hose can last from 5 to 10-years. NFPA Standard 1962 requires annual pressure testing of all in-service fire hoses such as those commonly carried on fire trucks. Fire hose construction can vary by intended use such as the light weight ones used for fighting forest and brush fires versus heavy duty hoses used for structural fire fighting.
💰A 100-foot section of heavy duty, rubber coated, 2.5-inch fire hose can cost up $600. A 1.5-inch inch woodland fire hose can cost up to $200 for a 100-feet section. The average fire pumper unit can carry more than $10,000 worth of fire fighting hoses.
7. Fine Fighter’s Personal Protective Equipment: According to NFPA Standard 1812, the maximum recommended lifespan of this type of safety equipment, commonly called turnout gear is 10-years. However, this can be less due to such negative factors as heavy usage, lack of preventative maintenance, theft and inadequate storage. Generally speaking, a full set of turnout gear will consist of a helmet, bunker coat and pants, hood, boots, gloves, radio & radio strap, and a complete air pack with mask and spare bottle.
💰The price tag for a complete set of new, state-of-the-art turnout gear has risen substantially over the last 5-years and can currently vary from $14,000 to as much as $21,000. Unfortunately, many underfunded small town and rural fire departments ignore the 10-year replacement recommendation under NFPA Standard 1971 by purchasing used from larger municipal departments, thereby putting the safety of their firefighters at increased risk.
8. Speciality Fire Fighting Equipment: These needs can vary depending on the emergency situations a given fire department is likely to encounter. Some of the more common special hazards include high rise buildings, aircraft, watercraft, large mobile construction equipment and hazardous chemicals. Unfortunately, there is little published data on how long such speciality fire fighting is expected to last or recommended replacement schedules.
💰A foam generating unit needed to fight large flammable liquid fires can cost $2,000 and the foam agent for that unit up to $20 per gallon. A “K’ class portable fire extinguisher used to fight commercial or institutional kitchen fires can cost up to $400 for a 15-pound capacity unit. A set of vehicle emergency passenger extraction tools can cost $6,000. Finally, a portable gasoline powered portable water pump commonly used by rural fire departments to draw water in creeks and farm ponds can cost from $1,000 to $2,000.
9. The Average Fire Fighter: The average life span of a U.S. firefight is put at 10-years less than the nation’s general population. Negative factors weighing against longevity include the exposure to hazardous smoke, fumes, chemicals, mental stress, and the high potential for work-related death and serious injury. Because of their working environment, fire fighters have a 9% chance of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14% greater chance dying from that disease than the U.S. general population. The average retirement age U.S. fire fighter is 57-years old, but some municipal departments allowing retirement at age 50. The turnover rate for both professional and volunteer firefighters ranges from 10 to 20% annually.
💰Replacing an experienced fire fighter with an inexperienced hire can cost up to $175,000. Additionally, it can take up to 3-years of on-the-job training and experience before they become fully effective. In West Virginia, a professional fire fighter’s salary can range from $35,000 to $87,000 annually with a statewide average of slightly over $46,000.
Conclusion:
A poor ISO Protection Class Rating can cost a community millions of dollars in increased property insurance premiums, not to mention the increased potential for total fire losses.
Unfortunately, 95% of all West Virginia are either totally or partial volunteer, the third highest ratio in the nation after Nebraska and North Dakota.
The dependence on these widely scattered and often understaffed and equipped volunteer departments only serves to underscore the fact that West Virginia has the 3rd highest fire death rate in the nation, only exceeded by Hawaii and Alaska.
Achieving a good ISO protection class rating will largely be dependent on a community’s commitment to effective fire protection and its allocated budget.
🔴 For addition information on this topic, contact Centurion Insurance Service’s Loss Control Manager, Rob Brooks at:
☎️ (606)434-0739
