Sumter County Fire and Rescue in Sumter County, Georgia recently took delivery of two new tankers manufactured by Fouts Brothers in Smyrna, Georgia. Each tanker is a 3,000-gallon capacity 2015 Kenworth, allowing fire fighters to deliver large amounts of water from a water source to a fire scene without the need for hydrants. The two tankers delivered in November are just the first in a series of vehicles that will be replaced at SCFR.

Truck Details
The two tankers are equipped with Darley LSP 1,000 gpm pumps, an Optimo rear camera system, three Whelen PS Tank level gauges and Federal Q2B sirens. They are Model T-370 with a PACCAR PX-7 engine and Allision transmission. The trucks are also equipped with GPS. Fouts Brothers has a reputation for quality, affordable apparatus placed on new cabs and chassis.

Benefits to Citizens
When new apparatus is added to the arsenal of local fire departments, citizens benefit. In this case, the new tankers will allow fire fighters to extinguish fires even when a fire hydrant is not located nearby. In 2013, Smyrna firefighters responded to 2,171 alarms, some of which had no access to fire hydrants. Without fire hydrants nearby, the risk of severe damage to property is higher.

Insurance Rating and Fire Company Preparedness
In the early 1990s, the National Board of Fire Underwriters evaluated fire response times in many cities throughout the country. The result of this evaluation created a system which divides the United States into more than 45,000 fire districts to determine a rating system used to establish insurance rates in the area. The rating system in each district is based on three factors:

• The adequacy of the communication system used by the department
• The department itself, including equipment, personnel and training
• The availability of fire hydrants and the amount of water available

With the addition of the two new tankers in Sumter County, firefighters are provided an additional water source to fight fires in the area. Homeowners may recall that their insurance company asked how close they were to fire hydrants. Because statistics show that homes that are more than five miles from a hydrant are more at risk for severe damage if there is a fire, rates for homeowners insurance may be higher. In some areas of the country, insurance rates were lowered when fire companies added new apparatus when their Insurance Service Office (ISO) rating was lowered due to the new equipment. Although there is no indication that the new tankers in Sumter County will lower ISO ratings in the area, they will provide homeowners with better protection for their home. Even if rates are not lowered, homes in rural areas may suffer less damage in a fire as the tankers will provide a water source when hydrants are not available.

Lower homeowner’s insurance rates are one of the benefits that can occur when a fire company receives new equipment, such as the two tankers delivered to Sumter County recently. However, even if the new apparatus does not lower the areas ISO rating, the addition of the new apparatus brings better technology and protection to homes in the area, preventing significant damage should a fire occur. To learn more about homeowner’s insurance, or if you are in need of any type of insurance, including life, auto or health, contact Waggoner Insurance. We can provide all your insurance needs and answer any questions about your coverage. Visit us online today or contact us by phone to see how we can meet all your insurance needs.

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