With better fire fighting ranking, Redding may see insurance savings

Record Searchlight (Redding, CA)

Aug. 04--Redding homeowners may see savings in their insurance premiums after the city's fire-fighting class rating got upgraded.

The class 2 ranking from 3 places Redding in the top 2 percent of some 50,000 communities that are surveyed by Insurance Service Office (ISO).

In a talk with the Redding City Council on Wednesday, Fire Chief Gerry Gray credited better marks across the board for the fire department, SHASCOM dispatch, Redding Water Utility and Bella Vista Water District.

What also gave the audit a boost was the retention of nine firefighters, whose positions -- being paid through cash reserves -- could be cut at the end of this fiscal budget if new funding is not identified.

"The whole time I have been here," said Mayor Missy McArthur, who will finish eight years on the council in December, "we have been always concerned about the ISO. Getting this number is just fantastic."

The new rating goes into effect on Oct. 1. Although audits are scheduled every 10 years, Gray cautioned they can happen any time if the agency becomes aware of changes in services.

The agency put the city on notice after the council in 2010 voted to close Station 2.

Gray said the department received a letter from ISO that it planned to open an audit. Fire officials were helped because they were working to secure a $1.9 million Homeland Security grant and they had not lost firefighters.

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant and pension and health insurance concessions of $2.5 million over six years from the Redding Professional Firefighters Local 1934 allowed officials to re-open the station 20 months later, in October 2012.

The city also got bonus points in its audit from a newly created category for community risk reduction. "Forget the fact that we got the bonus points. Everybody got the bonus points," Gray said. "Kudos to all of us for getting there (new class)."

Councilwoman Francie Sullivan told her peers that someone who works in the insurance industry had told her with all the fires in California, getting insurance or keeping it from getting canceled is significant.

"One of the biggest benefit to our community may be for the people on the fringe who might not be able to get insurance and now because of our good rating, they are in a better position," she said.

In other business, the council approved the appointments of five residents to an advisory committee that will see how money from a public safety-mental health sales tax is spent, provided Measure D and Measure E pass on Nov. 8.

The members are retired Shasta County Judge Steven Jahr, retired undersheriff Larry Schaller, Chief Probation Officer Tracie Neal and business owners Shawn Bernardi and Ryan Denham, who also will represent the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce. Jake Mangas, also of the chamber, will serve as an alternate member.

Measure D is a half-cent sales tax to pay for more firefighters, community service officers and police officers, jail space and a mental health center. Measure E advises what areas in public safety the money should go.

Separately, Councilman Gary Cadd met Tuesday's deadline to submit arguments against the measure. McArthur said she and Vice Mayor Brent Weaver will be writing the rebuttal, and Sullivan asked to sign on to the rebuttal.

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