Submitted. Many Abbotsford residents may not be aware that in December of 2011 the City of Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service announced that many persons living in rural areas may be eligible to receive a significant cost reduction in their fire insurance rates from the majority of insurers in Canada.
A key objective of the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service Master Plan was to improve fire protection for rural areas and this has been achieved through accreditation in “Superior Tanker Shuttle Service”. “Superior Tanker Shuttle Service” is an accredited systematic process that utilizes water tankers to transport water from a source location to the fire scene and is recognized as an equivalency to fire hydrant protection.
During a review of the City’s fire insurance rating, Fire Underwriter’s Survey (FUS) officials recognized that Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service had an excellent process in place for addressing fires in rural locations. FUS advised the Fire Rescue Service that, if accreditation for this type of alternate water supply could be achieved, local property owners would then be eligible for improved fire insurance rates similar to those with municipal-type water supply systems.”
Fire insurance ratings are based on many factors; however two of the main requirements for personal and commercial properties are as follows:
Personal Properties
• located within 8 km (5 miles) of responding fire station and;
• within 305 meters (1000 feet) of a fire hydrant with a minimum flow rate of 200 gallons per minute in addition to domestic supply.
Commercial Properties
• located within 5 km (3 miles) of a responding fire station and;
• within 150 meters (500 feet) of a fire hydrant with a minimum flow rate of 400 gallons per minute in addition to domestic supply.
All personal and commercial properties within the urban core that meet both these requirements are afforded a significant reduction in property insurance. Many properties in the rural areas previously were not able to meet these minimum requirements based on the location of the nearest fire hydrant.