CITY OF

LEWISBURG

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Drawer 151

Lewisburg, West Virginia 24901-0151

(304) 645-3237 – Fax (304) 645-3238

Wayne E. Pennington, Fire Chief

wpennington@lewisburgfire.net

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: March 16, 2010

Lewisburg, WV

 - The City of Lewisburg Volunteer Fire Department is proud to announce that the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), an Independent agency, has upgraded the Public Protection Classification (PPC) for the corporate limits of Lewisburg from a favorable Class 5 rating  to a very favorable Class 4 rating and a Class 4/9 rating outside of the City limits. When a split classification is published (Class 4/9) the first class (Class 4) applies to properties located within the Lewisburg Fire District and within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant. The second class (Class 9) applies to properties located within the Lewisburg Fire District and within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station but beyond 1,000 feet of a hydrant.

ISO objectively reviews the fire suppression capabilities of a community and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) – a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet minimum recognition criteria. Most insurance companies utilize this PPC classification for underwriting and calculating premiums for residential, commercial and industrial properties. The new Class 4 Rating represents the most favorable rating effecting residential insurance rates. With this Class 4 Rating, ISO places the City of Lewisburg among the top 15% of the 47,648 fire protection jurisdictions in the USA that are evaluated by the ISO. Of the 680 fire protection jurisdictions in

West Virginia

, there are only 47 fire departments with ISO ratings of Class 4 or better.

ISO’s Public Protection Classification system analyzed three critical features of our community’s structure fire suppression delivery system, weighing each on its relative importance. The fire alarm and communication system, which supports handling and dispatching fire alarms, accounts for 10% of the total classification,

Greenbrier County

9-1-1 scored a 9.33 of a possible credit of 10. The water supply system, including storage tanks, water distribution system, and fire hydrants, accounts for 40% of the total classification, Lewisburg Water Department scored a 32.92 of a possible credit of 40. The fire department, including facilities, apparatus, and equipment, pumping capacity, training, and personnel, accounts for 50% of the total classification, The Lewisburg Volunteer Fire Department scored a 31.46 of a possible credit of 50. A divergence of -3.88 credits was applied resulting in a score of 69.83 of a possible credit of 100.  The Public Protection Classification 4 has a point range of 60 to 69.99.

The new ISO Class 4 classification, will become effective on June 1, 2010, was based on an October 2009 ISO survey of the community. The amount of any insurance premium reduction that can be expected due to upgrade varies widely depending on individual insurance companies. Not all companies use the PPC grading schedule. Individuals, business and industry are encouraged to call their insurance companies to determine what, if any, affect this classification upgrade will have on premium rates. The lower ISO classification should result in lower insurance premiums, of those insurance companies that use the PPC grading schedule, of 3 to 10 percent on residential insurance premiums. If all 1,929 residential units were to receive a $50 annual reduction in their premium, there would be a total savings of $96,450 in insurance premiums within our community.

This achievement was made possible by the dedication and commitment of the members of the fire department in their training, responses and staffing, through funding of facilities, apparatus and equipment  purchases by the Lewisburg Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. a non-profit corporation, by the residents of our community who financially support the LVFC, Inc. in its annual fund drives, by the State of West Virginia’s funding, from causality insurance premium sur-charge, of apparatus purchases,  and by the Lewisburg City Council through its commitment to and financial support for the staffing, apparatus and equipment purchases, facilities maintenance, and other multiple daily operating costs. I thank each of you for making Lewisburg a truly safer and better place to live.

For questions, please contact Fire Chief Wayne E. Pennington.