Rural residents in Chatsworth may be eligible for a lower insurance rate as the local fire department has received Water Tanker Accreditation.
The Chatsworth Fire Department completed a two-hour tanker shuttle accreditation test on Oct. 12, to demonstrate the department’s abilities in providing water to rural fires.
Fire Chief Mike Givens says, with the accreditation, rural residents with homes, farms and businesses within the Chatsworth Fire Department area, may be eligible for a rate reduction on their insurance.
Givens says he is not sure how much of a decrease will apply to those living in the rural areas, as it will depend on insurance provider.
He says the test the fire department took included using a nearby water source and transporting the water a minimum of eight kilometres to a pumper unit.
Givens says unfortunately in a real fire fighting situation, there is not always a fire hydrant on every street. On occasion, they will need to go find a water source and transport it to where it needs to be.
Givens notes, while the accreditation is optional, having it assists with their and the municipality’s fire service rating.
“This is our second time at this, this was actually a recertification. The first time we didn’t quite hit the 2,270 liter mark, which what they gave us was called a residential rating. This one here is a residential and commercial rating that we were able to achieve this time,” says Givens.
Givens adds if anyone in the Township of Chatsworth would like a copy of the certificate, they can contact the fire department directly at 519-794-3232.