The $2-million project has been in the works for years
PETOSKEY, MI -- Work is complete on a new Petoskey Department of Public Safety fire station near the Bay Harbor development.
The new station will not only cut response times in half for homes in the area, but it could play a big role in cutting some insurance costs.
"I think it's going to seriously, seriously impact our response times which will be much, much better," explains Department of Public Safety Director John Calabrese.
A new Bay Harbor fire substation that has been in the works for several years is now complete in Petoskey. It will cut response times that use to take 10 to 12 minutes from the downtown station in half. Two trucks, including a 100-foot ladder, have moved from downtown and are standing by at the substation.
"Fires spread so quickly that just a two or three minute delay can really cause things to get out of control," says Calabrese.
With the cost of the new property and the building, the project cost about two-million dollars, but it could help local homeowners nearby. With its proximity, it could cut down on insurance costs.
Here's how: Along with several other factors, insurance companies look at how close fire services are to a home. Right now, there are homes in the Petoskey jurisdiction that are further than five miles from the downtown station. With the new substation, all homes will be within a five mile radius which could mean savings of hundreds of dollars a year on some homeowner premiums.
"Any new substation that helps protect from major losses in both property and life is going to benefit everybody," says Ashley Whitney, an insurer at Harbor-Brenn Insurance Agency.
And for homeowners in Emmet County who don't think it matters, it could. With quicker response, fewer insurance dollars put toward a claim can trickle down to mean more money in your pocket.
"Depending on what insurance companies they're with, the more you can prevent claim dollars from going out, the lower premium costs overall," explains Whitney.
Whitney says your best bet is to check with your insurance agent.
