Butte Fire earns improved ISO fire rating

A new fire protection rating could lower fire insurance rates for some homeowners in the community of Butte.

“That's great news,” said Assembly Member Lynne Woods who represents Butte.  “I know Chief Von Gunten and his responders have worked very hard at the Butte Fire Station. I'm very pleased with their efforts demonstrated by this high rating.”

The Butte Fire Service Area is one of eight FSAs in the MAT-SU Borough and covers 45 square miles. According to the 2006 U.S. Census projections, some 3,166 residents live in the Butte FSA. The land is suburban, rural, and wilderness.  

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) performed a comprehensive audit and survey in late 2007. The classification changes from an 8b/10 to a Public Protection Class of 6/10. The criteria of the audit incorporates nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Association and the American Water Works Association.

MAT-SU Borough Emergency Services Director Dennis Brodigan said that obtaining a Class 6/10 rating is no small feat. “The fire officers and firefighter staff went above and beyond to ensure that the ISO rating was improved in the Butte Fire Service Area.”
 
The Butte FSA boundaries begin at Smith Road and run south through the community of Butte and southeast to the end of Knik River Road. The boundary turns west and continues until the one mile marker on the Old Glenn Highway, and then it runs northeast back to Smith Road.

Butte Fire Chief Charles Von Gunten said a lot of hard work went into the improved rating. “It takes dedicated personnel willing to give up their evenings and weekends to train and be ready to respond anytime, day or night,” VonGunten said. “Water supply capability is another very important aspect in determining the rating. Since we do not have a fire hydrant system, we went to great lengths to develop a detailed mapping system identifying GPS coordinates, capacity, and availability of our water supply points throughout the FSA, which consist of streams, rivers and culvert crossings,” Von Gunten said.

“We also completed a new annex addition to the Main Station 21. Under the new facility we have a 30,000 gallon water supply tank with an 1,100 gallons per minute submersible pump to quickly refill tankers.”

Von Gunten said that homeowners could see reduced costs for fire insurance for those who live within a five mile radius of Stations 21 and 22. “The amount of reduction will depend upon the individual homeowner’s insurance carrier.”

A Public Protection Classification ranges from number 1 to 10. Class one means exemplary fire protection, and class 10 means minimal fire protection.

The ISO Class 6/10 rating means that those residents and commercial structures that are within five road miles of a Butte fire station are within an ISO Class 6 area; those structures more than five road miles from a Butte fire station are in an ISO Class 10 area.