KVFD protection classification positive

The Kimball City Council heard from Fire Chief Rick Wynne regarding the Public Protection Classification, which sets insurance rates.

The classification was given by ISO Mitigation, an independent classification company for hire, according to Wynne. ISO completed a survey and analysis for the local volunteer department and assigned Kimball a classification of 5/5Y.

According to the company’s website, ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), evaluates four primary categories of fire suppression — fire department, emergency communications, water supply, and community risk reduction.

“Insurance companies have to pay (ISO) to get this information after we do this survey,” Wynne said. “This survey is a really in depth survey, about how our fire department and how our water department, as far as our fire hydrants, offers protection in Kimball.”

The same classification the last time the survey was completed was a five as well, according to Wynne, who said the process takes about a week.

Representatives from ISO evaluate the fire trucks, hoses and fire hydrants as well as record keeping, number of responders and training. They ensure that all the equipment is functional and in good repair.

During the previous study, five of eight hydrants were operational, prompting the city to replace non-functioning hydrants.

“The state does not make us do this,” Wynne said. “But if we don’t have this classification, whenever you buy a house and you go to get fire protection insurance, they will guess, basically.”

Currently the classification is five in Kimball and the rural classification improved two points to a 5Y due to an additional tanker.

“He was pretty impressed with our equipment. I do this survey not so much to satisfy insurance companies. The reason I do it, is so that I know how to improve the fire department,” Wynne reported. “He said that in a town our size there is not very many fire departments that are better than what we have.”

Council also heard from Jamie Carpenter regarding the Fritz Memorial Dog Park plans. After one committee meeting, Carpenter reported that concerns were voiced about the proposed location for the park.

“Our main reasoning was accessibility for local people. It is a lot easier for kids to walk their dog to the park since we don’t currently have a street going out to Janicek (Dam),” she said. “There is water and electricity already there, and that would be a huge infrastructure cost to get it out at Janicek. As a group we are kind of scared to put in that much money on a piece of land that we don’t own.”

Carpenter added that local buy-in would also determine the success of a dog park in Kimball.

“We were thinking it would be a lot better at Gotte (Park). We were thinking east of the swimming pool, kind of by the drainage ditch area that isn’t really used for anything. Maybe extending towards the soccer fields. I don’t know how much those are used currently.”

Other locations were discussed as well, but the Gotte Park area was the most desirable.

Council member James Shields said that the Carpenter league football teams practice in that area in the fall and that soccer coaches often have practices in the same area throughout the Spring.

“I think that you were worried about being the first one to make the step (to develop that Janicek Dam area), but I also think that it would generate the rest of the progress,” council member James Schnell said.

Other concerns with the Janicek Dam area include weeds, particularly goat heads, and snakes. The parking lot that would be added to the area would cover the majority of the goat heads.

Mayor Keith Prunty asked about a time line for development, which Carpenter said would be quite some time, potentially next summer, at the earliest.

Council considered evaluating the availability of water and electricity in the area and will have city personnel determine how best to extend those services to the area as needed.

“We will definitely work with you,” Prunty said. “Council already supported it.”

Other items before the council:

Approved appointment of Joyce Witt to fill Pat Sibal’s unexpired term on the Cemetery Board.

Approved appointment of Matt Shoup to fill Jason Lockwood’s unexpired term on the Airport Authority Board.

Approved a Keno grant in the amount of $4,600 for the Kimball Public Library.

Waived the Event Center fee for Friends of the Kimball Public Library.

Approved a Main Street Design and Improvement grant for the Friends of the Goodhand Theater in the amount of $3,000.

Approved the rates presented for the Kimball Event Center as presented during the special meeting on Nov. 8.

Moved to proceed with abatement of the unsafe property at 212 S. Burg St.