Fire dept. assessment helps homeowners

Feb. 19--DEMING -- Homeowners within the Deming city limits could see a subtle change in their premiums when purchasing insurance for their homes based on the Deming Fire Department's recent Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating for fire protection handed down by the Insurance Service Office (ISO).

Measured through a grouping of required criteria, the DFD was awarded a Class 4 rating -- exemplary in the eyes of Chief Raul Mercado and Edgar Davalos, battalion chief and training officer. The rating comes from a scale of one to 10, with one signifying a top rating. There are only two Class 1 ratings in the entire state of New Mexico and 241 nationwide.

"From a fire suppression standpoint, we have seen growth and advancement in firefighting techniques, early recognition, early warning -- as far as central dispatch is concerned -- and training. In the past, we handled are own dispatch, but now the service is provided through central dispatch which is more efficient for us here at the department," Davalos said. Davalos has over 20 years experience with the DFD.

"On the EMS (Emergency Medical Service), there has been advancement in medical services and technique and we are the forefront."

The ISO provides PPC ratings for more than 45,000 fire departments nationwide. They take into consideration call times to the departments, the time between an actual call and arriving on-scene, the size of city limits, water pressure, availability of hydrants and fire suppression training and equipment.

The DFD is staffed by two administrators and 19 firefighters who work in three shifts in crews of six to seven. "They work 24 hours on and 48 hours off," Davalos pointed out.

Davalos research the history of the DFD and found that when the town fell under a village title, it was a four rating. Once Deming grew into city status, it held a five rating for many years. "As the city and the department grew, we saw the need to make the necessary adjustments to improve in area of training, personnel and how we operate as a department -- as a whole," he said.

In New Mexico, there are 63 Class 4 rated fire departments. On a national scale, Deming is one of 6,915 Class 4 ratings.

The PPC score is determined by a 100 percent scoring system. Ten percent of the department's score comes form a community's emergency communications capabilities (911 service, the adequacy of communication lines, operator supervision and staffing. A hefty 50 percent of the score is indicated by the quality of the fire department based on adequacy of equipment, sufficiency of staffing, training levels and the location and distribution of a department's emergency services. The remaining 40 percent is generated from the source of water used in fire suppression. Assessors look at the condition and maintenance of hydrants, the existence of alternative water sources and the amount of water available -- in terms of water pressure and volume.

"Maintaining a Cl;ass 4 rating is key to our department," Davalos said. "Chief Mercado came in and has been able to have this department achieve the standards necessary for our rating. Our goal now is to achieve a three."

The DFD has been a steady Class 4 for the past four years. Communications, increasing and improving the training aspect and work toward improving the water system in general. "All of these three components work together toward achieving a lower rating number," Davalos said.

Public outreach is considered bonus points for the department. Deming firefighters and EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) routinely visit schools to conduct fire safety programs for students and also participate in community events such as the annual Shop With a Cop, Easter Eggs Hunt, The Great Pumpkin Drop and parades.

"Some homeowners will pay a premium for fire protection within the city limits. A lot of the insurance companies will use the ISO rating to determine how much you pay for that premium," Davalos said. "The better the class score -- the lower the premium."

Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (ext. 2606) or biarmendariz@demingheadlight.com.

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