Under the Harvest Moon

A new festival will be making its debut next weekend.
Vickie Phillipson reports that “this October families can celebrate Michigan’s glorious autumn and enjoy a glimpse of true Americana, as Under the Harvest Moon is unveiled by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, Oct. 8.
At the heart of this brand new event will be a display of vintage farm tractors, an open air marketplace of antiques, fall produce, Michigan handmade products and sweet delicacies, as well as street entertainment and family events.
Festivalgoers will enjoy Cass County’s best pulled-pork sandwiches and brats, grilled over an open flame by Smokin’ Good BBQ, a caramel apple and cider bar, horse-drawn wagon rides, wine tasting and corn hole tournament.
Children can decorate their own pumpkin and trick-or-treat bag.
There’s also entertainment and games, pumpkin patch photos, costumed pet parade, ice cream eating and miniature horses!”

I.S.O. rating

An I.S.O. rating is an indicator of a community’s ability to respond to a fire and is important for several reasons.
First, I.S.O. ratings are used by insurance underwriters and are a factor when setting homeowners’ insurance rates.
Generally speaking, a lower I.S.O. rating means lower insurance rates.
Second, this information helps the city staff and elected officials know if there are deficiencies within their fire protection systems so that tax money is invested wisely.
The last time the City of Dowagiac was reviewed by I.S.O. was 1995 and our current rating is a 5 rating, which is quite good.
Over the next six months you may hear more talk about the city’s I.S.O. rating because last week started the review and update process.
There is often a misconception that ratings are an evaluation of fire departments.
Actually, since an I.S.O. rating evaluates the entire fire safety system, the fire department’s personnel and equipment only accounts for 50 percent of the overall rating.
The city’s water supply system accounts for 40 percent of the rating and the dispatch system accounts for the other 10 percent of the rating.
The following information comes from I.S.O. that further describes how the Fire Suppression Rating System (FSRS) works:
“Fire Alarms
Ten percent of a community’s overall score is based on how well the fire department receives and dispatches fire alarms. Our field representatives evaluate:
• the communications center, including the number of operators at the center
• the telephone service, including the number of telephone lines coming into the center
• the listing of emergency numbers in the telephone book
• the dispatch circuits and how the center notifies firefighters about the location of the emergency

Fire Department

Fifty percent of the overall score is based on the fire department. I.S.O. reviews the distribution of fire companies throughout the area and checks that the fire department tests its pumps regularly and inventories each engine company’s nozzles, hoses, breathing apparatus, and other equipment.
I.S.O. also reviews the fire-company records to determine things such as:
• type and extent of training provided to fire company personnel
• number of people who participate in training
• firefighter response to emergencies
• maintenance and testing of the fire department’s equipment

Water supply

Forty percent of the overall score is based on the community’s water supply.
This part of the survey focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression beyond daily maximum consumption.
I.S.O. surveys all components of the water-supply system, including pumps, storage and filtration.
We observe fire-flow tests at representative locations in the community to determine the rate of flow the water mains provide.
We also review the condition and maintenance of fire hydrants. Last, we count the distribution of fire hydrants no more than 1,000 feet from the representative locations.”
An I.S.O. representative was in Dowagiac last week and indicated it will take about six months for him to complete the review process.

MML convention

The City of Dowagiac is a charter member of the Michigan Municipal League (MML) and the citizens have received the benefit of the training that elected and appointed officials have received through this organization.
The MML is a clearinghouse house for information regarding changes to state regulations and during the past year has been an invaluable resource during the flurry of legislative activity that has taken place.
The MML is holding its annual convention in Grand Rapids this week.
Many of the elected officials will be sharing in a variety of training opportunities that are being offered.
The information gained through these workshops will help insure that city officials remain abreast of the ever-changing state governmental landscape.

— City Manager Kevin P. Anderson