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11 <br /> 1 Commissioner McKee read the resolution: <br /> 2 <br /> 3 <br /> 4 Res. 2012-88 <br /> 5 <br /> 6 <br /> 7 <br /> 8 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 9 RESOLUTION OF RECOGNITION FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN ORANGE <br /> 10 COUNTY FOR <br /> 11 REDUCING HOMEOWNERS' FIRE INSURANCE COSTS <br /> 12 <br /> 13 WHEREAS, fire insurance for homeowners and businesses is impacted by the capabilities of <br /> 14 the local fire department covering the structures, including the distance from the <br /> 15 fire station; and <br /> 16 <br /> 17 WHEREAS, in recent years, insurance companies have used new mapping technology to <br /> 18 determine a more exact distance from a fire station to an insured structure <br /> 19 causing a rise in premiums for some homeowners; and <br /> 20 <br /> 21 WHEREAS, insurance premiums for both residential and commercial structures can be <br /> 22 impacted by multiple variables, including the ISO (Insurance Services Office) <br /> 23 rating of the primary fire department covering a home or business; and <br /> 24 <br /> 25 WHEREAS, many fire departments in Orange County have aggressively worked to reduce fire <br /> 26 insurance costs for home and property owners by improving ISO ratings and/or <br /> 27 building new stations to cover structures that were previously beyond six (6) miles <br /> 28 from a station; and <br /> 29 <br /> 30 WHEREAS, the ISO inspection, conducted by officials with the North Carolina Department of <br /> 31 Insurance, Office of State Fire Marshal, looks for proper documentation and/or <br /> 32 demonstration for staffing levels, sufficient firefighting equipment, proper <br /> 33 maintenance of equipment, 9-1-1 communications capabilities and availability of <br /> 34 water sources; and <br /> 35 <br /> 36 WHEREAS, fire departments, through mutual aid agreements, assist each other, including <br /> 37 working together to demonstrate water haul capabilities during ISO evaluation; <br /> 38 and <br /> 39 <br /> 40 WHEREAS, Orange County is covered by 12 fire departments — Efland, Eno, New Hope, <br /> 41 Orange Grove, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, and White Cross fire departments cover <br /> 42 rural districts; Orange Rural (Hillsborough), Chapel Hill and Carrboro fire <br /> 43 departments cover municipal and rural areas; and Mebane and North Chatham <br /> 44 fire departments are located outside of Orange County, but cover areas within <br /> 45 Orange County; <br /> 46 <br /> 47 NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Orange County Board of Commissioners does <br /> 48 hereby acknowledge the support Orange County fire departments have displayed <br /> 49 in reducing insurance expenses for property owners in Orange County. <br />