The opening of a new fire station always generates excitement about the promise of faster emergency fire, rescue and EMS response. All of us at the West Grove Fire Company are proud of the accomplishment of establishing our third fire station in London Britain Township.
For many residents in London Britain and Franklin Townships, the opening of Station 32 provides an excellent opportunity to review homeowners insurance coverage with their insurance company agent. This is because the new station moves fire services much closer to these homes than ever before.
Previously, the closest WGFC stations were six miles northwest in New London and 6.5 miles north in West Grove. The fire stations in Newark, Delaware and Elkton, Maryland are 6.3 and 8.1 miles respectively.
Located strategically in the middle of that large area is the new Station 32, which responded to its first call on April 4, 2012. Station 32 is located at 1517 New London Road (Route 896), between Indiantown and Flint Hill Roads, London Britain Township, Chester County. The station is on the grounds of Nichol Park.
This station houses a fire due fire engine, carrying 1,000 gallons of water and operating a 1,500 gallons per minute pump, and a full compliment of fire and rescue gear. A BLS ambulance is also stationed in this same building. 15,000 gallons of fire fighting water is also stored at Station 32 to augment water supply in this largely rural area.
When reviewing your insurance coverage, please tell your agent these important details shown above. Your agent may ask you if the fire company has any information on ISO ratings. This industry-standard rating is available to insurance carriers directly, and is not accessible to the fire company. Your local agent needs to request that the insurance carrier contact ISO directly.
What we do know is this: many insurance carriers assign a risk value to properties based on their proximity to fire departments and fire hydrants. Up until now, most homes in Franklin and London Britain Townships have been located farther than five miles from a fire station -- and that may have put those homes in a high risk insurance category (risk translates to cost in insurance policies). With Station 32 now in service, many of these homes are much closer to a fire house -- and this provides a very real reason for homeowners to have their policies reviewed.
We hope this information is helpful to you, and that an insurance review results in an updated, and less expensive policy. We also hope that you will consider donating any savings, and whatever you can, to help to offset the more than $1.5 million that the WGFC invested to put Station 32 in service.
