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A gasoline tank truck training fire attended by Fire Departments
from throughout the State — part of the ongoing Hazardous Materials
training for the Springfield Fire Department.
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The Springfield Fire Department's 188 uniformed personnel and 32 civilian personnel provide fire protection to a little over 100,000 people in the city and an additional 40,000 people in nine fire protection districts. Recently, the department was assigned a Class 1, fire insurance rating for their outstanding fire defense capabilities. The following is a personal reflection on the methodology used to accomplish the Class 1 rating.
On May 8, 1967, an editorial appeared in the Illinois State Journal stating that, "one of the major problems facing the City of Springfield is the improving of its defenses against fire." Citing a report by the American Insurance Association, the editorial stated that the fire department had not improved its fire defense rating of a Class 5 since 1960, and as a result, fire insurance rates for the city were higher than they should be. A suggestion was made indicating that the improvement of the fire insurance rating should be the primary goal of the fire department's administration, and that no other matter merited more attention.
As a newly appointed fire fighter, this article was my first introduction to the American Insurance Association and its successor. The Insurance Services Office, Inc., during this period of time, most fire fighters, myself included, failed to understand the correlation of the insurance fire rating and the operation of a fire department. It was a general feeling that the Insurance Rating Survey was something we fire fighters had to endure rather than participate in, and as soon as the inspectors left, things would get back to normal.
We would learn later that the Insurance Services Office Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is an objective analysis of fire suppression features in a municipality, measuring major differences between cities and recognizing the suppression potential of those cities to handle buildings once they are burning. The entire thrust is to quantify, on a relative scale of 1 through 10, the capabilities of a community to control these fires, and thus limit the resulting loss. The FSRS is intended to credit any system, equipment, apparatus or personnel level which is brought to bear on the suppression problem.
Perhaps as a result of the May 8, 1967 editorial, improvements were made in the fire department, and the city requested a fire insurance rating survey in 1970. In late 1970 the city was awarded a Class 4 fire insurance rating for their efforts. This reclassification was estimated to have saved between 5 and 10 percent in fire insurance premiums paid by policy holders.
In 1975, shortly after being elected Commissioner of the Department of Public Health & Safety, Pat Ward requested Al J. Sella Associates, a private consulting firm to determine the existing level of service provided by the department. The study was to analyze and evaluate water supply, fire department, fire service communications and fire safety control (fire prevention and building, electrical, plumbing and heating department), in terms of capabilities of providing fire protection. In general, the criteria included, the Insurance Services Office grading schedule. According to the report, major deficiencies were noted in fire service communications, fire safety control, as well as water supplies. In fact, some of these deficiencies were serious enough to cause the loss of one (1) class rating if an insurance services office survey were to be conducted. The Al J. Sella Associates' study, and a management audit report of the fire department, conducted by James L. Kolb in August 1977, were extremely important documents, for they provided a framework for a
August 1988 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 23
systematic approach to developing a fire service delivery system that would be second to none.
The following four years were without question, a period of growth. Growth both in terms of professional personnel development and acquisition of needed apparatus and equipment; such as large diameter hose, which provided seven times more water than the conventional hose the department was using; and pre-piped deck guns for quick knockdown of large structure fires. New technology also allowed the department to take advantage of improvements made in self contained breathing apparatus and fire fighter turnout gear, in addition to chemical additives to improve fire suppression efforts.
Under the able leadership of Chiefs Gene Doerfler, Tom Bestudik and Tom Hall, many innovative programs were initiated to improve training, fire safety, fire suppression, and fire communications. A much needed fire apparatus and equipment maintenance schedule was developed to repair and maintain the department's growing fleet. Thanks to an urban development program adopted by the city, the department was allowed to purchase (for a very nominal price) an equipment repair facility that would ultimately house not only our maintenance department, but also the training and education division. Combining these activities allowed for minor repairs to equipment while personnel were training.
Frequent meetings were established with the City Water Light and Power Water Department personnel to recommend improvements for the city's water distribution system.
Programs implemented during this period of time having the greatest impact on the fire department and public were the county-wide 911 system, basic life support delivery system, and the start of a hazardous materials mitigation program.
With the cooperation and hand work by the men of the Springfield Fire Department, a decrease of 460 deficiency points resulted in the city being assigned a Class 3 fire insurance rating in April of 1979.
When the Insurance Service Office changed its fire insurance rating schedule in 1980 to allow credit through review and evaluation of three major features — fire alarm, fire department and water supply, the department once again made a concentrated effort to reduce the fire insurance rating. A class rating was established as a goal, not only because it would provide for a reduction in commercial fire insurance premiums, but more importantly, indicate that the department was providing the highest quality service possible.
Achieving a Class 2 rating in April 1984, most fire department members and many of the department's supporters and technical advisors thought the department had reached the top of the heap. Even Commissioner Ward thought the department had reached the pinnacle as far as the Insurance Services Office grading schedule was concerned.
An important event that was to change this attitude was an invitation by, Mr. Burton A. Clark, of the Na-
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tional Fire Academy to participate in an organizational analysis and renewal planning process. The department agreed to institute the completed plan to continuously increase the effectiveness of the Springfield Fire Department. When Tom Armstead was appointed chief in 1985, he made a personal commitment to completing the goals established in the organizational analysis and renewal program. Many of the programs needed for Class 1 grading were in place. However, the difference between Class 1 and 2 is the amount of fine tuning a department is willing to do. Chief Armstead was able to accomplish this by, establishing a team management approach with the department's staff. One area that improved noticeably was the training department. According to Mr. Tom Freeman, Insurance Services Office, "The Springfield Fire Department training program is without a doubt the finest we have had the opportunity to grade." Utilizing the departments audio/visual capabilities to produce video training classes and broadcasting the programs to the 10 fire stations in the city, through the municipal cable channel 15, was a major asset in maximizing the training portion of the grading schedule. City Water Light and Power, Director Frank Madonia and his staff, must be recognized for making a major contribution to the Class 1 rating. The water supply portion of the schedule improved from 30.99% in the Class 2 schedule to, 37.26% in Class 1 schedule.
Countywide, there are 26,221 graded communities by ISO, of which only seven are Class 1. In Illinois, there are 1,500 graded areas of which only one is Class 1 — Springfield.
A commitment to excellence by a group of dedicated men and women of the Springfield Fire Department, produced a fire delivery system worthy of Class 1, the challenge now and in the future will be to uphold these standards. •
August 1988 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 25
