Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue Service District

17350 Nalle Road, North Fort Myers, Florida 33917

Business: 239-543-3443   Fax: 239-543-7075

Serving With Pride

July 8, 2010

For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:

Read the online article from NorthFortMyersNeighbor.com

Bayshore Fire Rescue Improves Fire Protection Rating

            Bayshore Fire Rescue is working to keep the cost of insurance for fire protection under control.  Recently, the department was awarded a Public Protection Classification (PPC) of 3/5 within the boundaries of the Bayshore Fire District. One measurement of the capacity of a fire service to protect the community is its Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. This rating is used to set the fire protection portion of a resident’s homeowner insurance. Under ISO's rating system, protection class “1” is the best and “10” is the worst rating. The lower the rating, the less the cost for fire insurance for a home or business. An analysis of Bayshore Fire Rescue by the national data collection agency, ISO, focused on three areas to provide information on the quality of fire protection.  These three areas include:

• the fire department, including equipment, apparatus, staffing, training, and geographic locations of fire stations  (this accounts for 50% of the score)
• the water supply system, including the condition and maintenance of hydrants, and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires (this accounts for 40% of the score)
• fire alarm and communication systems, including telephone systems, telephone lines, staffing, and dispatching systems (this accounts for 10% of the score)

ISO staff collects information about the quality of public fire protection in approximately 46,000 fire districts across the United States.  The Class 3 /5 ranking places Bayshore Fire Rescue in the top 5% in the country for fire protection in developed areas. 

            Prior to this inspection, Bayshore Fire Rescue maintained a rating of 4/9. This split rating provided home owners with a protection class of 4 within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, and a 9 in other areas lacking municipal type water supplies for firefighting activities. With this reduction of a 4/9 to a 3/5, residents may be fortunate to seek a rate reduction on home insurance premiums. Homes that reduced from a 4 to a 3 may see about a 5% decrease; however, homes that were once rated at a 9 and now a 5 may see a savings of as much as 40-50%. This significant reduction is possible by dedicated men and women of the Bayshore Fire District continually striving for enhancement and improvements in service delivery, and automatic assistance agreements with other local fire service agencies.

Bayshore Fire Rescue Receives FEMA Grant to Help Maintain Staffing

            Bayshore Fire Rescue has received confirmation of a grant award from the Assistance to Firefighting Grant System for the 2009 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). This grant was provided to Bayshore Fire Rescue to off set potential personnel reductions and lay-offs of three Firefighters that are employed by the district. With an income loss from tax dollars relevant to decreased property values, Bayshore Fire Rescue has lost 37% of the Districts Operational revenue. This grant will assist the District in these difficult economic times to maintain a staffing level that allows Bayshore Fire Rescue to provide a quality fire and emergency service. The SAFER grant will provide for wages of three full time firefighters.

For further information please contact Fire Chief Lawrence Nisbet at 239-543-3443,