The City of Revelstoke has received an upgrade to its fire insurance grade, a move that Fire Chief Steven DeRousie says translates to enhanced protection for homeowners and potentially lower insurance premiums.
A recent assessment by the Fire Underwriters Survey, a national firm specializing in fire risk analysis, increased Revelstoke’s dwelling protection grade (DPG) rating from 3A to 2. DeRousie informed the city council on February 25 that this upgrade means residences within 300 meters of a fire hydrant and within eight kilometers by road of a fire station now qualify for this improved DPG within city boundaries.
A DPG of 2 on the one-to-five scale indicates Revelstoke enjoys a high level of fire protection.
“A better DPG means that the fire department’s response capabilities, resources, and preparedness have improved, reducing the risk of damage to homes in case of a fire,” the city stated in a release. “Overall, this improvement indicates both better safety and potential cost savings for residents.”
With homeowners’ personal insurance lines affected by this new assessment, DeRousie advised residents to shop around for the best deals.
He explained that residents in a community with a fire department that meets Fire Underwriters Survey performance standards often see more significant insurance savings than the cost of maintaining the fire department.
As a general guideline, DeRousie suggested residents should not pay more for their insurance than the difference between what an insured and uninsured homeowner pays.
According to DeRousie, an uninsured resident likely pays between $5,000 and $6,000 annually for “unprotected” insurance coverage and may be eligible for reduced premiums on “fully-protected” coverage.
“Your premiums may become half of that for a semi-protected rate,” or even greater for a fully-protected property, he estimated.
“There’s a (cost-benefit) balance between having a fire department serving your community and not having one.”
As fire chief, DeRousie works to annually update Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services’ inventory through the Fire Underwriters Survey’s online portal to ensure both maximum safety for residents and the best value for their insurance.
He underlined the importance of residents understanding how their investment in their fire department can provide a net return or net savings.
Along with reducing risk, “the reason we exist is basically to help people be compliant with the insurance industry,” he said, humorously adding that “it used to be there was only two things certain in life: death and taxes.” Now, insurance has become a third certainty.
Looking ahead, DeRousie shared that the insurance industry will introduce a system recognizing wildfire risk and homeowners who “take FireSmart principles under their wing,” which provides them with better insurance outcomes.
Those interested in procuring a FireSmart home assessment can contact Lauren Marfleet from Revelstoke Fire Rescue Services at [email protected].
For more information about Revelstoke’s DPG rating, visit fireunderwriters.ca/grading/dwelling-protection-grade.html.
