Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Fire topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rockville fire report: ISO score improves, crews deployed to California and residents urged to check insurance
Summary
Rockville fire officials reported a districtwide increase in calls, an improved ISO rating taking effect April 1, and an out‑of‑area deployment to the Eaton Fire near Pasadena; officials urged residents to check wildfire risk maps and contact insurers.
Todd, a Rockville fire department representative, reported that call volume in parts of the district has risen and highlighted an improved Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating and an active out‑of‑area deployment.
Todd said Rockville had zero calls last month while Springdale recorded 12 and Zion 1; for 2024 Rockville logged 15 calls, Springdale 246 and Zion 75. He said districtwide the department ran 6,026 calls for the year — about an 18% increase from 2023 — and that 71% of patients served were residents while 29% were nonresidents.
The ISO rating — a point system that scores staffing, apparatus, water systems, dispatch and training — improved from a 6 to a 4, Todd said. "So we improved by 2 points, which is good. That will take effect on April 1," he said, and advised residents to contact homeowner insurers after April 1 to inform them of the change.
Why it matters: ISO ratings can affect homeowner insurance premiums, and officials warned that separate wildfire‑risk maps used by insurers have led to some policy cancellations outside obvious fire zones. Todd said a bill before the state legislature would require insurers in Utah to use a state wildfire risk map that is updated with mitigation work reported by local fire crews.
Todd described local effects of insurer wildfire assessments: homeowners in Tocqueville and Hurricane reported losing coverage despite not being near recent fires. He recommended residents use the state map — "Google the Utah DNR wildfire risk assessment map" — and to clear debris around homes ahead of a forecastedly active fire season.
Todd also reported that engine 471 is deployed to the Eaton Fire near Pasadena. "They're camping out in the parking lot of Rose Bowl," he said, adding that crews initially secured utilities at burned structures and are now engaging fire on the slopes; the deployment is expected to run 14 days, followed by a two‑day rest and possibly another 14 days. He said crews reported the Eaton Fire had 11 fatalities and more than 1,100 confirmed destroyed structures.
Tyler Hirschfeld was named in the meeting as the captain of the wildland division; Todd said wildland crews perform mitigation work (chipping and clearing) and will report completed work to the state map when appropriate.
Officials did not record a formal action on the report; the discussion functioned as an informational update and advisory to residents to contact insurers and undertake defensible‑space work.
Additional details from the meeting: officials said they plan to pursue improvements over the next year or two to recapture higher ISO points that were not achieved this cycle, and encouraged residents who need mitigation help to contact the front office to reach wildland crew staff.
