Fire Underwriters Survey Prince George, BC

Transcription

1 ' ' ' ' ' Fire Underwriters Survey Prince George, BC Michael Currie GiFireE, AScT, Director, Western Canada CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE at= Fire Underwriters Survey A SERVICE TO INSURERS AND MUNICIPALITIES

2 Agenda ' ' ' Brief History of the Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS) Fire Insurance Grading Systems and Index Five Elements of the Survey Fire Risk Fire Department operational capacity (40%) Water Supply for Public Fire Protection (30%) Fire Prevention and Safety Control (20%) Emergency Communications (10%) Superior Tanker Shuttle Service (STSS) Fire Insurance Grading Impact on Property Insurance Rates Items of Note

3 ' ' ' History and Origins of Fire Underwriters Survey

4 Historical Perspective The Great Toronto Fire 1904 Fire in major North American cities such as Baltimore and Toronto destroyed entire blocks and sections of cities Financial stability of insurers threatened Team of engineers conducted insurersponsored study of fire conditions in major cities Standard schedule for grading cities and towns with reference to their fire defenses established

5 Fire Underwriters Survey (E) All pla.ces havin g Hand Fire Eugine., or no fire protection, Originally formed as the CFUA in 1883 Large conflagration losses had significant impact on economics of insurance Insurers formed a group of engineers to develop a standardized index of fire insurance grades Insurers use grades in underwriting and determination of rates CANADIAN flrt UNO[RWRIT[RS' ASSOCIATION_ TARIFF OF MINIMUM f"ire INSURANCE RATES, ADOPTED 1st Octo b e r.. 199~- I I I I I I I I I P rl nltd b)' R C Mr Le:.1n, J Adf'la1d"' St Ent, T oronto I I L J I

6 The Canadian Fire Insurance Grading Index ' ' '

7 2 Grading Systems Commercial Lines: Public Fire Protection Classification (PFPC) Complex and detailed analysis Grades between being the best and 10 meaning no organized fire protection Risk modeled dynamically Personal Lines: Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG) Simple system of analysis Grades between being the best and 5 meaning no organized fire protection Risk modeled with static assumptions

8 Grading Components Fire Insurance Grade Categories Fire Department Fire Safety Control Water Supplies Emergency Communications Fire insurance grades are based on more than 500 pieces of information

9 FUS - Fire Risk Considerations Number of risks status and trends Value of risks status and trends Geographic distribution of risks - status and trends

10 Benchmark of Fire Risk: Required Fire Flows...: ::... --

11 J Basic Fire Flows

12 Distribution Analysis

13 NFPA 1710 Standard of Response Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments Response time target in NFPA 1710: 240 seconds or less travel time for the arrival of the first arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident and 480 seconds or less travel time for the deployment of an initial full alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident This response time standard applies to: structure fire in a typical 2000ft 2 (186 m 2 ), two-story singlefamily dwelling without basement and with no exposures

14 Fire Propagation C Unrestrained fire growth.c: -3: e (!) Fire growth with ~ automatic sprinkler LL Minutes I Detection 1 Report : Dispatch Ignition 1 of fire I of 1 turn out I I fire I I I ~ I Time varies Time indirectly I I manageable I l Travel time Time directly manageable 1 Set up I 1 Application of 1 extinguishing I agent I I I ' I I

15 Measuring Fire Response Capacity Against Fire Risk For each risk, establish required fire flow and associated response standard for effective response Determine credit for initial response, second due and total concentration of pumpers and ladders

16 Measuring Fire Response Capacity Against Fire Risk "' C. LL. LL. a:: II).c E ;;;J z '<I' :;!. rl N -.-1 gi m - Prince George - Distribution of Response Benclunarking 00 ID ID 0 m rl 00,r-,..;i - ~,q m Ll"l,r-..-1,... r-,. N Ll"l Ll"l.-1 Required M et Benchmark First Due Pum per Second Du e Pumper Tot al Concentrat ion Pum per First Due Ladder Tot al Co ru:entration Ladder

17 Fire Department Standard of Response Cover (distribution) Available Fire Force Apparatus, companies and capacities Apparatus design and conditions Personnel training and training programs Equipment quality Pre-fire planning Record keeping

18 Apparatus Pumpers Ladders Initial Attack Mobile Water Supply Insurance Grading Recognition of Used or Rebuilt Fire Apparatus

19 FUS replacement schedule MediwnSized Cities 4 or Co-DDities Where Risk is Small Co-DDities 5 Annantus "- e MaiorCities 3 Si-ificant and Runl Centns 0-15Yean Fir:stLine Fir:stLine Fir:stLine 16- loyean Reserve 2ndLine Fir:stLine 20-25Yean 1 No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading or or Reserve 1 J11f1Line Yean 1 No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading or or Reserve 1 Reserve 1 30Yean+ No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading No Credit in Grading l.au listed fire apparabls 20 years of age and older are required to be service tested by recognized testing agency on an annual basis to be eligible for grading recognition. {NFP.A.1071) 1 F.xcq,tions to age status may be considered in a small to medium sized communities andntral centre:r conditionally. when apparabls condition is acceptable and apparablssua:essfally passes required testing. 1 Major Cities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has: a populated area (or multiple areas) with a density of at least 400 people per square kilometre; AND a total population of l 00, 000 or greater. 4 Medium Communities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has: a populated area (or multiple areas) with a density of at least 200 people per square kilometre; AND/OR a total population of l, 000 or greater. 5 Small Communities are defined as an incorporated or unincorporated community that has: no populated areas with densities that exceed 200 people per square kilometre; AND does not have a total population in excess of l, 000.

20 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards NFPA has numerous standards for the delivery of Fire Protective Services Many of these are used by the Fire Underwriters Survey in assessing Fire Department Equipment and Operations Examples include: 1201 Organization 1710 Career Departments 1720 Volunteer Departments 1901 Apparatus / ULC S Training/Certification NFPN etc.

21 Fire prevention & Safety Control 20% Elevated to 20% to reflect the need to shift from fire fighting to fire prevention Qualified staff assigned to fire prevention department Fire Prevention Program and Code Enforcement o Sprinkler bylaws Building Inspections Plan Check Program Public Education Program Pre-Plan Program NFPA 1730 integration

22 Fire Service Emergency Communications 10% Factors considered include: The communications centre Means of transmitting alarms by public Means of alarm dispatch and dispatching services Radio communications

23 Fire Underwriters Survey Water Supplies for Public Fire Protection Water Supply Distribution System o No in-depth analysis conducted and no recommendations provided Hydrants Installation and Maintenance Spacing & Distribution (min s: 150m Commercial / 300m Personal) Sizing and installation of water mains Layout Looping Redundancy Valving isolation capacity Maintenance Multiple Point Failure Analysis

24 Water Supply Standards Fire Underwriters Survey: Water Supply for Public Fire Protection The accepted Canadian standard for requirements for water supplies for fire fighting Includes details for calculating Required Fire Flows for individual buildings or zones Includes details for calculating required water volume storage for reservoir sizing Design to this standard ensures that water supplies will be adequate for fire insurance grading

25 Alternative Water Supplies NFPA 1142 required for Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG) 3B Hydrant protected equivalency? Superior Tanker Shuttle Service Accreditation Program Standardized protocol available online Requires evidence that fire department can meet or exceed the minimum requirements of a hydrant system consistently 365 days per year.

26 Superior Tanker Shuttle Service (STSS) Accreditation A number of outskirt areas in Prince George have reduced hydrant distribution which results in reduced levels of recognized fire protection for fire insurance grading purposes. Conducting STSS Accreditation can combat this and result in improved levels of fire protection for fire insurance grading purposes.

27 Superior Tanker Shuttle Service Accreditation

28 STSS improves dwelling premium rates... rn a.,... > a.,!;l. ID ~ rn S 2., 500,000 _00 s2.,ooo,ooo_oo S 1, 500,000_00 STSS Accreditation Rate Estunates Q a..-t d E ~,il s1,ooo,ooo_oo..,, Bat es N UJ "' N ii). "' a., ~ S5oo,ooo_oo rn 1C:: so_oo Curre l1t E.st imated IRate IE:stimated Rate with STSS

29 Fire Underwriters Survey Fire Insurance Grading Impact on Cost Benefit of Investment in Fire Protection Property Insurance Rates? Personal Lines? Commercial Lines? Capacities?

30 Homeowners and Renters Fire Rating Classifications Fire Rating Classification is the main premium rating component used by Insurance companies to determine premiums or if a property is insurable Homes that do not have access to adequate Fire Department protection ( Unprotected ) will almost always sustain more damage than homes that have access to quality fire response ( Protected ) Homeowners and Renters insurance premiums are classified into three categories or fire grade

31 Dwelling Protection Grades (DPG) Residential Personal Lines Grading reflects the ability of a community to handle fires in dwellings (SFR and duplex) Scale of 1-5, & DPG 1 is the best

32 Dwelling Protection Grades 5-grade system simplified to 3-tier System used by Insurers DPG Grade Versus 3-Tier System (Industry) or "Protected" 3A 3B 2 or "Semi- 4 Protected" 5 3 or "Unprotected"

33 Dwelling Rates Aggregate - PG The total cost of insurance premiums for all dwellings in Prince George without fire protection has been calculated at $45,020,310 The total cost of insurance premiums for all dwellings in Prince George with current fire protection service levels has been calculated at $14,864,135 The Prince George public fire protection system is currently saving dwelling property owners more than $30 million per year across the City.

34 How do Fire Grades affect Small Commercial Business Premiums? $6, ~ L J $5,.000,000 - $4,000,000, =~~"-.L:::::: :_.:...;;;;;;:.-::-a:~... ~~~ , ~.._~,~~ ~::~ -e. _.,-.,. ~ ;;,2,000,000 6::,:; 1 il"l,:i"!"1'\ 00"" ~,!l..l'i.ai..... SD.... ~,, -. --,.e- Es.timat:ecl Tora~ Rate , 9 10 pif p;c

35 Commercial Rates Aggregate The total cost of insurance premiums for all commercial lines insured property in Prince George without fire protection has been calculated at $5,493,615 per year The total cost of insurance premiums for all commercial lines insured property in Prince George at PFPC 4 has been calculated at $2,954,763 The total cost of insurance premiums for all commercial lines insured property in Prince George at PFPC 5 has been calculated at $3,468,157 The Prince George public fire protection system is currently saving dwelling property owners more than $2.5 million per year across the City.

36 Prince George Fire Underwriters Survey Results I a Credit Received Available Credit

37 Prince George Fire Underwriters Survey Results 1 Fire Department Water Supplies Fire Safety Control Emergency Communication

38 Items of Note Improve Coverage within the City of Prince George Optimized fire hall locations presented Improve Ladder Coverage Improve Available Fire Force Establish and adopt Standards of Response Coverage Areas of weak response noted. Remote areas of city not well served, particularly for initial response 3 example areas analysed: Northwood Pulp and Paper, PG Pulpmill, Planer Mill

39 Items of Note Work with Large Scale Industrial Sites to Develop Clear Understanding of the Risk Levels for these Sites Replace Fire Hall 1 and emergency communication center Upgrade Fire Hall 2, 3 and 4 Increase Staffing and associated Frequency of Inspections and address Pre-incident Planning

40 Conclusion... Since the last FUS assessment in 1985, the level of risk has increased faster than the level of public fire protection in Prince George. Notable areas of weaker coverage have been identified throughout the report as well as areas where fire insurance grades may be downgraded. The City of Prince George is a large service area and the fire department faces significant challenges in responding to all areas in adequate time frames for an effective level of service.

41 Thank you ' ' CITY OF PRINCE GEORGE See us on the web at