Be Prepared for Fires
TCVFD encourages all residents and visitors to Know Your Evacuation Zone and to sign up for emergency notifications at
https://firesafetrinity.org/evacuation-guide/
Check out the TCVFD WildFire Response Plan.
FireWise Community
Trinity Center is an active, designated FireWise Community. Some insurance companies, including the California Fair Plan, will offer a discount for homes located in FireWise Communities. Our FireWise Certificate can be downloaded here.
In order to keep out FireWise Certification, Trinity Center Volunteer Fire Department has obtained grants to construct roadside fuel breaks and augment defensible space around infrastructure. We hold an annual Fire Safety event to provide educational materials on fire resistant landscaping, home hardening, wildfire evacuation procedures and similar topics. We offer inspections and advice under the Wildland Fire Assessment Program (WFAP). We have participated in the development of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. We work with the US Forest Service to develop projects to protect our communities including roadside and ridgetop fuel breaks. We participate in the Trinity County Fire Safe Council. We have created community education projects such as the “Big Red Truck” program, where our Type 1 engine visits a home to show the need for improved access such as strengthening culverts & bridges, cutting overhanging branches on driveways or improving turnarounds. Our Auxiliary sells reflective house address signs, that meet CalFire criteria, to aid in fire response under dark or smoky conditions. These are examples of our projects to better protect homes from wildfire.
Fire Insurance Information
TCVFD ISO PPC Classification – 5/9
The TCVFD has an ISO rating of “5/9” (read “5 slash 9”). Classifications are on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is best and 10 means there is no creditable fire protection. ISO is focused solely on structure fire protection, and in determining the protection classification applicable to a neighborhood, or an isolated structure, they consider any structure further than five road miles from a fire station too far to be saved in the event of a catastrophic fire.
TCVFD’s Class 5 rating applies to all properties within five road miles of the Trinity Center fire station and within 1,000 feet of a creditable hydrant or alternate water supply. This includes the Trinity Center subdivision, Trinity Meadows, Northwood Estates, Trinity Knolls and KOA.
Class 9 applies to properties beyond 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant, but within five road miles of the fire station. Properties beyond five road miles from the fire station are Class 10.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a commercial company that provides statistical information and other services to the insurance industry. Many years ago, ISO created its Public Protection Classification (PPC) program to provide a rating system for fire departments. Their theory is that insurability of a property is directly related to many factors, one of which is the availability and capability of a local fire department.
ISO sends a comprehensive questionnaire, and schedules a site visit by an auditor, to measure the capabilities of a department. Trinity Center VFD has scored well for many years, providing a Class 5/9 rating to local properties. The most recent audit was conducted in 2018. Click here for the letter from ISO confirming our classification rating.