Melvindale Fire Chief Dan Wilhelm (left) congratulates Melanie Fiorillo (second from left), who recently successfully completed her one-year probationary period. Also shown are her son, Brian Fiorillo, and her daughter, Moriah Pettry.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – Residents soon may be charged less for household property insurance thanks to a recently upgraded rating of the city’s ability to provide fire protection for private residences.
The International Organization for Standardization recently improved the city’s rating from 6 to 5. The latter number means the city is rated higher than 75 percent of other rated communities.
ISO uses a public protection classification program to rate and compare communities against a uniform standard. Its fire suppression rating schedule assigns rankings to a community’s fire protection, with 1 being exemplary, and 10 being below minimum criteria.
Three components create a municipality’s score:
• A fire alarm and communication system, which represents 10 percent, includes facilities and support for handling and dispatching resources to fires.
• The fire department, with its engine companies, stations and fire companies, as well as staffing and training, accounts for 50 percent.
• The water supply system, which accounts for 40 percent.
Fire Chief Dan Wilhelm said Melvindale last was evaluated in 1993.
At Wednesday’s City Council meeting he introduced new firefighter Scott Atkinson and congratulated Melanie Fiorillo, a firefighter who successfully completed her one-year probationary period.