From
Robert Fite, Fire Chief
Title
Professional Services contract with Mike Pietsch Consulting Services, for a three phase engineering grading evaluation and improvement recommendations of the City of Grand Prairie's Insurance Service Office (ISO) survey, not to exceed $65,000
Presenter
Robert Fite, Fire Chief
Recommended Action
Approve
Analysis
The last ISO survey the City of Grand Prairie had conducted was in 2008, these surveys are done every 8-10 years. The ISO survey, and much of the backbone of information added to the insurance databases, will play a major role in setting our key insurance rates for our homeowners and commercial businesses. During our 2008 survey, we graded as a Public Protection Class 3 under the ISO system used in 2008. Under this system a 1 is the best grade for optimal insurance rates and a 10 is the lowest rating possible creating the least competitive rates. Within the ISO survey, the City of Grand Prairie will obtain the grade using the following formula: 50% from Fire Department, 40% from our water system and 10% from our Fire-Police Communications processes (Dispatch).
Our ISO survey is scheduled for June of 2016. The Fire Department is recommending the approval to hire Mike Pietsch Consulting Services to perform engineering services in the form of a 3 phase evaluation of all three systems (Fire, Water and Communications) and to make recommendations on how to improve the scoring. Within the three phase process, Mike Pietsch will assist with the following:
1. Evaluate and recommend changes prior to the official ISO survey is conducted in June 2016.
2. Perform a system analysis of fire coverage and response times.
3. Assist GPFD to complete the pre-survey checklist.
4. Review the ISO actual scoring and communicate with the ISO field officer on any item in need of clarification or protest.
Each phase will have different components and all are defined and explained in the attachments number 1 through 6. All three phases will not exceed $65,000.
Phase 1 is not to exceed $32,000 and includes Fire Flow report for commercial occupancies, Fire Department operations and training and Communications processes, Water Department facilities and flow testing, Community Risk reduction focused on fire prevention.
Phase 2 is not to exceed $25,000 to prepare the ISO field reports requested by ISO related to all topics in Phase 1.
Phase 3 is not to exceed $8,0000 to assist the ISO field representative during the June 2016 evaluation.
Financial Consideration
Funding for professional services to improve the City's ISO Insurance Rating in the amount of $65,000 is available in the Fire Capitol Projects Fund (400591), WO #01601001 (ISO Insurance Rating).