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jQ Z_ <br /> RES-2012-088 y 0— <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> RESOLUTION OF RECOGNITION FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN <br /> ORANGE COUNTY FOR <br /> REDUCING HOMEOWNERS' FIRE INSURANCE COSTS <br /> WHEREAS, fire insurance for homeowners and businesses is impacted by the capabilities <br /> of the local fire department covering the structures, including the distance from <br /> the fire station; and <br /> WHEREAS, in recent years, insurance companies have used new mapping technology to <br /> determine a more exact distance from a fire station to an insured structure <br /> causing a rise in premiums for some homeowners; and <br /> WHEREAS, insurance premiums for both residential and commercial structures can be <br /> impacted by multiple variables, including the ISO (Insurance Services Office) <br /> rating of the primary fire department covering a home or business; and <br /> WHEREAS, many fire departments in Orange County have aggressively worked to reduce <br /> fire insurance costs for home and property owners by improving ISO ratings <br /> and/or building new stations to cover structures that were previously beyond <br /> six (6) miles from a station; and <br /> WHEREAS, the ISO inspection, conducted by officials with the North Carolina Department <br /> of Insurance, Office of State Fire Marshal, looks for proper documentation <br /> and/or demonstration for staffing levels, sufficient firefighting equipment, <br /> proper maintenance of equipment, 9-1-1 communications capabilities and <br /> availability of water sources; and <br /> WHEREAS, fire departments, through mutual aid agreements, assist each other, including <br /> working together to demonstrate water haul capabilities during ISO evaluation; <br /> and <br /> WHEREAS, Orange County is covered by 12 fire departments — Efland, Eno, New Hope, <br /> Orange Grove, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, and White Cross fire departments <br /> cover rural districts; Orange Rural (Hillsborough), Chapel Hill and Carrboro fire <br /> departments cover municipal and rural areas; and Mebane and North <br /> Chatham fire departments are located outside of Orange County, but cover <br /> areas within Orange County; <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does <br /> hereby acknowledge the support Orange County fire departments have <br /> displayed in reducing insurance expenses for property owners in Orange <br /> County. <br /> This the 16th day of October 2012. <br /> Bernadette Pelissier, Chair <br /> Orange County Board of Commissioners <br />