A Message from the CHIEF

April’s Message from the Chief
Emergency Calls and the Guntersville Police Jurisdiction

 Emergency calls as of 1 April 2008:  88 comprised of 64 emergency medical, 5 vehicle accidents, 1 vehicle fire, 4 brush fires, 4 road clearings, 2 fire alarm system calls, and 8 house and brush fires in the Union Grove area. 

 A frequent question asked when we are fundraising is, “Why should we support the volunteer department when we live in the Guntersville police jurisdiction and pay a 1.5% PJ tax on my electric bill?  Guntersville is supposed to provide police and fire protection in the PJ.”  The statement about fire and police protection is absolutely correct; however, there are a couple of factors you need to consider when looking at the whole picture.

 Guntersville has limited manpower and equipment to cover its extensive city limit and PJ areas, and the closest Guntersville fire station to our area is over four (4) miles away.  These two factors were the basis for a number of meetings between the Guntersville Fire Department and the area's volunteer fire departments.  How do the departments provide the maximize fire protection and emergency response capabilities in the PJ areas?  The determination was that the volunteer departments had to play a bigger role in fire and emergency responses.  The end result in this area is that Marshall County 911 calls Georgia Mountain VFD first for a majority of the emergencies, and calls Georgia Mountain and Guntersville simultaneously for structure (house) fires.  The area’s residents benefit by having two (2) departments, with additional manpower and equipment, who are able to respond to an emergency.  Georgia Mountain VFD maintains two (2) fire stations: One behind Discount Building Supply Company for quick responses in the Warrenton area and the second at 2485 Georgia Mountain Road.  The only problem with the arrangement is that there is no tax or mandatory fee funding for the volunteer departments – it’s the reason we ask you to voluntarily contribute.

 Another benefit provided by the Georgia Mountain department is the savings associated with your homeowner insurance premiums.  Insurance companies factor in the fire protection available to the homeowner.  Fire protection levels are established by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) who bases the protection level on the capabilities of the fire department and water availability.  The fire protection levels are presented on a scale of 10 (no fire protection) to 1 (maximum protection), and are stated in a two (2) numbers, example: 4/9.  The first number (4 in this example) is the level of protection provided by the fire department within five (5) miles of the home plus usable water (hydrant) being within 1,000 feet of the home.  The second number (9 in this example) is the fire protection beyond 5 miles from the station, or being more than 1,000 feet from the water supply (hydrant). 

 What do the protection levels mean to you?  A $100,000 home in a 4 rated area has a premium of approximately $527/year while the same home in a 9 area is $1,026/year.  A $250,000 house in level 4 pays $1,174 while the same house in a 9 area pays $2,231.  The premium estimates are provided by Alfa Mutual Insurance.  Guntersville has a 4/9 rating; however homes located more than 5 street miles from the Blount Avenue fire station are not entitled to the 4 level premiums; they are in level 9 areas for Guntersville protection.  Georgia Mountain VFD has a 5/9 rating – the difference between 4 and 5 for the $100,000 home is $27/year, and the $250,000 home is about $90/year.  Every home in the Warrenton, Browns Creek, Cha-La-Kee Road and Georgia Mountain neighborhoods area is within 5 miles of one or the other Georgia Mountain stations.

 So, the best answer as to why the people in the PJ should also support the volunteer department is, “More safety and lower insurance premiums.”  Would you contribute $4.50 a month ($54.00/year) to save 50% on your homeowner’s policy plus have two fire departments ready to respond to your emergency needs?  Call me at 582-4154 if you’d like more information.

Chief Jason Edmonds 

To read other "Messages from the Chief" from past months
go to the ARCHIVES page.