Insurance Concerns & Information

Huntington Lake VFD now has an ISO property protection class rating of 5 / 5Y

Huntington Lake VFD now has an ISO property protection class rating of 5 / 5Y and your insurance agent should easily be able to significantly reduce your insurance rates!   If you are having trouble with your agent call the Fire Chief for a list of agents and carriers who have already made this change for your neighbors!!

*Please note that insurance carriers have begun to classify properties in the wildland interface differently and rates are bound to increase!

 

The Fire Department has become aware of two developments regarding cabin/condo/homeowners fire insurance coverage in the Bass Lake, Shaver and Huntington areas.  Some residents have experienced rate increases based on a reclassification of their ISO “protection class ratings” while others are being informed that their insurance carriers no longer will insure their cabins. 

Based on these issues the Huntington Lake Volunteer Fire Department applied for its first every ISO property protection class (PPC) rating in the fall of 2014.  These ratings, issued by the Insurance Service Organization, are based on many factors including water availability, pumping capacity, equipment age and condition, response times, firefighter and department training, dispatch methods, and many other factors.  This past year Huntington Lake VFD has improved our ISO rating to very favorable "Split-Class" rating of 5/5Y.

Our response area contains two different property protection class ratings, one for structures within 1,000 feet of a hydrant that produces 250 gallons per minute for two hours (water tenders can augment water flow to meet this standard if necessary) the areas that can be supplied with 250 GPM are assigned a "5 PPC" rating, and areas that do not have hydrants that can produce that much water and must depend on water tender shuttles to fight major structure fires which receive the "5Y PPC" rating.

The highest ratings of Property Protection Class Five (5) are assigned to the following tracts and neighborhoods: Dowville Tract, Lower Deer Tract, Eagle's Nest Condo development, Regatta Vista Neighborhood, The "Old College" historical tract, all of the condos in the Huntington basin and Rancheria Enterprises. A "5Y" rating is assigned to all other neighborhoods/Tracts.

Your department has prepared a letter from the Chief explaining our special conditions, listing all apparatus, and names the roads/streets covered in both property protection classes. Click the links shown on the right for a copy of the Chief's letter, a spreadsheet showing response information that you and your agent can use, and maps showing each tract/neighborhood. There are two documents showing specific information about fire hydrant testing in neighborhoods with rated systems as well as lots of other helpful information. There are charts showing the PPC ratings for all addresses in our response area as well ... check out the rating for your property!

  • Response Times & Distances

    The time and distance document includes two sets of numbers; one from station 62 (Huntington lake Rd and Huntington Vista) to your neighborhood and a second set for the response time from station 262 (Lower Line Creek Tract) to your location. Make sure you choose the station closest to your residence to get an accurate response time and distance.

    Times and distances are measured from the fire house to the intersection of Huntington Lake Road and the cross street of your tract unless otherwise noted. Distance and time from the intersection listed to your actual cabin/condo/home is a matter of seconds!

  • Hydrant Information

    ISO requires that 250 gallons a minute be available for firefighting for a minimum of two hours for the best rating to be assigned. This flow can be met in "any combination of water sources" for example in the Condo area any one hydrant can easily produce the flow needed. In Dowville, while most of the hydrants produce 250 GPM, there are two hydrants that produce a little less than 250 GPM, however when combined with the water the fire engine, and water tender carry the standard is clearly met.

    ISO states that any structure within 1,000 feet of the hydrant is included in that protection class. This allows us to include all of lower Deer Track and Rancheria Enterprises in Property Protection Class five.