A recent survey predicted the potential of taking the town's ISO rating from a 6 to a 5 in the coming years.To get there, according to the survey, the town would need to take actions ranging from reorganizing equipment to building a new fire station on the northern end of town.
Commissioners heard a report on the survey last week and will be hearing more from Fire Chief Tommy Wheeler at their annual planning retreat in late February. That is when all department heads report objectives in the run up to annual budget-writing sessions.
Wheeler said he received the survey results himself last Monday from Rick Hall of Rick Hall and Associates.
Hall is a former fire chief and former inspector with the state Fire Marshal's Office, Wheeler said.
Hall performed the survey in September and presented it to commissioners Monday.
He told the board members his survey was similar to what they could expect from the fire marshal's office over the next few years. He anticipates a state inspection within three years, so the time to make improvements is now.
Recently the fire marshal's office has taken over more close scrutiny of the elements within a jurisdiction that affect fire service.
Elkin's last insurance rating inspection was in 1995. "Nobody knows when the one before that was. Nobody remembers," Wheeler said.
In his survey, Hall looked at communications, analyzed department records, critiqued equipment and facilities and considered water supply.
He then made suggestions for improvements that he believes will lead to an improved insurance rating.
"Little can be done about communications," he said. "Most of that is handled by the county."
Some of the suggestions amounted to just moving equipment around, Wheeler said. "That is basically free. We have it. We just need to put it in a different place."
Hall suggested commissioners could consider water supply issues in terms of economic development.
Wheeler said that residential insurance rates would see little change going from a level 6 to a level 5. The benefit from the insurance companies goes to commercial policy holders in that move. Average savings amounts to $165 annually, but that figure may be misleading.
The average is drawn over all commercial properties, ranging from large facilities with sprinkler systems and hazardous materials to the average retail shop, Wheeler said, adding that further economic analysis will be necessary.
Improving the rating would require building a second station on the north side of town and adding another full-time employee.
Firefighters will need to spend more time in training. "It can be difficult for a volunteer department to improve a rating," Hall said. Volunteer departments are under stress of personnel working out of town and being so busy they have difficulty attending the required training.
"A lot of them are aging out, also," Hall said.
Wheeler said he had just received the report and would be developing an action plan and cost estimates over the next few months, anticipating the planning meeting.
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