Lemoore Volunteer Fire Department nears perfection in nationwide rankings

By Ed Martin, The Leader Editor
Lemoore's vintage fire truck in last year's Christmas Parade. The Volunteer Fire Dept. recently earned a high ISO rating making it one of the best departments in the country.
Lemoore's vintage fire truck in last year's Christmas Parade. The Volunteer Fire Dept. recently earned a high ISO rating making it one of the best departments in the country.
Photo by Bill Burris

In the world of fire response times and insurance ratings, how well a local fire department responds to incidents could mean lower insurance rates for home and business owners, and it just may save a few lives too.

The City of Lemoore announced Thursday (July 7) that its Volunteer Fire Department racked up another exemplary rating from the Insurance Service Office (ISO). What does it all mean? The new rating, which went from a Class 3 to a Class 2 put Lemoore’s all-volunteer force at the level of many of the best paid fire departments in the country.

Local volunteers help put up the annual downtown Christmas tree.
Local volunteers help put up the annual downtown Christmas tree.

For example, in 2015, out of 48,754 fire departments nationwide, only 1,060 departments received a Class 2 rating. The surprise couldn’t have come at a better time, only days before the local volunteers celebrate the 95th anniversary of the Volunteer Fire Department.

And nobody is more pleased than Fire Chief John Gibson, who has guided the department the last 10 years.

“We’re proud that our work is recognized with a Class 2 rating,” said Gibson. “We consider this a testament to the long history, pride and dedication that is demonstrated every day by fire department volunteers and those responsible for managing the water system. The high rating is a result of working constantly to reduce fire loss through firefighting, quick response times, and the City’s water delivery systems.”

The ISO uses a scale of 1-10 with a Class 1 rating being the best. The ISO evaluates fire departments across the country on three factors: the city’s ability to receive and respond to fire alarms; the fire department’s first-alarm response; and the water supply system. Insurance companies use the information for marketing, underwriting, and to help establish premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance. This upgrade indicates that some insurance premiums, particularly on commercial properties, may be lowered by the end of the year.

The ISO is a leading source of information about insurance risk that gauges the fire protection capability of local fire departments to respond to structure fires. The ISO collects information on a community’s public fire protection and analyzes the data using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule. It then assigns a rating from 1 to 10, with Class 1 representing the best public protection and Class 10 indicating no recognized protection.

Gibson told The Leader that the ISO inspectors visited Lemoore in April and that it usually takes six to eight weeks before a determination is made regarding a rating. “On Thursday they sent us a letter which told us what our grade was, and on Tuesday I made a call to them and they confirmed it,” he said. “There are 1,600 of us (fire departments) that are grading at the Class 2 level,” he said. “This really puts us up there with the best.”

Gibson said his department has been working hard the last few years to improve many aspects of the Volunteer Fire Department, including all-important record keeping. “We’d like to have a perfect grade of Class 1.”

The Lemoore Department currently maintains a 35-person roster and operates four pumpers, two ladder trucks and three squad trucks. Of the 35 members, 13 are fully qualified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).

The department is kept busy on an annual basis. Last year the volunteers responded to 1,960 calls. “I’m really proud of these guys,” said Gibson. “They really take ownership in our department. We were able to accomplish what we set out to do.”

Finally, Gibson and his volunteers want to be the best. “I’d love to see a Class 1 rating,” he said. “There are only 160 departments in the nation that have that rating, and there are only 27 of them in California. That’s our vision, and if we can manage that, that would be great.” 

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