Star City Volunteer Fire Department

At 18:05 hours, Co. 20, 17, and 23 were alerted for a structure fire at Suncrest Village. Initial reports stated that there was three floors of one building on fire. 20-3 arrived on scene and set up initial command. After seeing the fire load 20-3 requested a tanker from every company in the county and also added Co. 12, 13, 14, 3, and Ladder 1 on the call. Ladder 1(Morgantown City) and Ladder 176(Granville) set up elevated master streams. More details to come.

   A massive fire destroyed four unoccupied buildings at the newly constructed Suncrest Village condominium complex off W.Va. 705 on Thursday.
   Two occupied buildings and a clubhouse closest to the road received only heat damage, said Ron Skidmore, assistant fire chief for Star City Volunteer Fire Department. No injuries were reported either from firefighters or residents of the complex. The cause of the fire was unknown.
   The fire started at about 6 p.m. in a building under construction at the back end of the complex, Skidmore said. Firefighters fought the blaze for about two hours before it was contained. The fire continued to smolder into Thursday night.
   Skidmore said 10 fire departments responded to the blaze, including nine volunteer fire departments and the Morgantown Fire Department. Three other volunteer fire departments were put on stand-by and moved closer to the fire.
   Morgantown Chief Dave Fetty said two trucks from his department helped fight the fire.
   Skidmore said the fire was one of the worst he had seen in 14 years in the fire service.
   �This is in the top five I�ve seen in my career,� he said. �Just about every fire department in the county was here.�
   Sharon Stratton, who lives in one of the Suncrest Village buildings near the blaze, said she smelled smoke and grabbed her purse and passport before running away from the building. But she noticed that no one had tripped the fire alarm, so she went back inside to make sure her neighbors got out OK.
   �I saw black smoke and I knew this would be terrible,� Stratton said. �Most of us just got out with our clothes.�
   Courtney Toman saw smoke from her back window and then heard the fire alarm go off in the complex. She grabbed her keys and ran out of the house.
   Toman said her condominium was the first real estate she ever owned. She watched the fire progress from a hill above the complex.
   �This is no longer a fire drill,� she said. �I�m thinking I�m getting kind of sick. I got insurance two days ago.�
   Shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene, black smoke poured out of the development and dominated the horizon for miles. Red and yellow flames shot into the air as firefighters sprayed water from two ladders above the blaze.
   Across town, ashes and embers rained down on the parking lot at Hazel Ruby McQuain Park by the Monongahela River, one The Dominion Post reader reported.
   Morgantown resident Julia Weimer was driving to her Suncrest home at about 6:20 p.m. when she saw the fire from W.Va. 705. She saw flames burning low at one building, and firefighters on the scene.
   �I was about to cry � it always saddens me to know someone could be losing everything,� she said.
   The smoke was visible from Westover, and some patrons of the West Virginia Brewing LLC on University Avenue were outside the pub, pointing up at the smoke, wondering what was causing it.
   During the fire, the wind shifted and threatened to ignite the remaining two buildings, Skidmore said, but firefighters were able to save them. Several pieces of construction equipment on the site were also burned.
   The event caused gridlock along W.Va. 705 as evening commuters pulled their cars over to the ample berms, a MECCA 911 dispatcher said.
   �It looked worse than a football game night with all the cars pulled off the road, onto the berm,� Weimer said. WVU Mountaineer football fans often park along W.Va. 705 and walk a mile or more to the Milan Puskar Stadium.
   Four Monongalia County Sheriff�s Deputies as well as police officers from WVU helped control traffic, and numerous cars were towed, the 911 dispatcher said.
   Another MECCA 911 dispatcher said gawkers blocked W.Va. 705 so much that the road had to be closed.
   �People were just stopping everywhere, in the roadway too,� she said.
   The road was closed after 6:30 p.m. when the first sheriff�s deputy arrived on scene, and was re-opened at 9 p.m., she said.
   There were no arrests, she said.
   And no one was transported to the hospital, �as far as I know,� she said at about 10:20 p.m. However, an ambulance was still standing by, she said.
   �Once the buildings caught on fire, it did cause a brush fire � a very large brush area,� she said.
   The development, visible from W.Va. 705, and on Maple Drive, consisted of four apartment buildings with 24 units each, as well as a 6,500-square foot community center and a maintenance building.
   Neither the community center nor the maintenance building was affected, said a dispatcher with Secure U.S., a Morgantown company that provides security systems to those buildings, but not the dwelling units. The Red Cross from Morgantown was sent to the fire as well. The Red Cross took water, meals for firefighters, and offered other services, a MECCA 911 dispatcher said. Firefighters had a good supply of water to fight the fire, said Jim Green, general manager for Morgantown Utility Board.
�They are moving as much water as they can out of our system. The fire department indicated that they were getting plenty of water,� he said. �County tankers are hauling some water from somewhere.�
   The fire caused no disruption to electric service in the area, said Allen Staggers, Allegheny Power spokesman.
   �The only thing affected by the fire is the apartments themselves. Typically when we respond to a fire we�ll try to cut the power to the residents,� he said.
   A service technician from Dominion Hope, a natural gas provider, was probably among the first to notice the smoke.
   �We had our service personnel (Hobie Butcher) responding to the area, said Bob Fulton, Dominion Hope spokesman. �As a matter of fact, he spotted the smoke, had a sense that something was wrong and went to the scene and took the initiative to get the gas turned off at the complex.�
   He found the problem so early, that �when 911 called to ask us to respond to the scene, we said the service personnel had already isolated the complex.�
   No other customers or areas were affected, Fulton said.
   The Suncrest Village condominiums are being developed by 705 Five Development Group. Partners are David Biafora, Rick Biafora, Larry Palumbo, Pat Alexander and Bob Toth.
   Speaking to a The Dominion Post reporter on the scene, Dave Biafora said that his company would put residents up in hotels overnight.
   None of the others could be reached for comment, and none returned calls left by The Dominion Post.
   Some of the developers were on site during the fire. They stood in a group but, other than Dave Biafora, would not speak to the media, members of the W.Va. State Police told The Dominion Post.
   The complex, on 50 acres, is billed as luxury condominiums.
   One-bedroom units start at $109,900, and two-bedrooms begin at $157,900. One-bedroom units are about 650-799 square feet, and two-bedrooms approximately 1,075-1,159 square feet.
   All units offer nine-foot ceilings with crown molding, oversized baseboards, fireplaces, bay windows with window seats and private decks.
   The units are prewired for security and have deed-assigned parking spaces.
   Suncrest Village was planned to have 18 buildings, with 24 units per building in the one- and two-bedroom complexes. The three-bedroom buildings were designed to have 20 units.
   Two Realtors are listing agents for the units, according to the Suncrest Village Luxury Condominiums Web site www.morgantowns.com.
   Realtor Anna Marie Stephens said, �I have no time to discuss it. Thank you,� before hanging up her phone. Stephens is a Realtor with Howard Hanna Premier Properties by Barbara Alexander LLC, in Cranberry Square, Morgantown.
   The associate on call at Howard Hanna did not return a message left on the answering system. Renee Z. Gatian, Realtor, also of that group, could not be reached for comment.
   Mon County Commissioner Bob Bell said that, according to his information, 56 units had been sold, and 30 of the units were occupied.
   �Certainly any time you have a fire of this magnitude it�s a tragedy in the community. And I hope nobody was hurt. And I hope they had enough insurance coverage to cover the loss,� Bell said.
   705 Five is also the developer of 102-acre, $50 million Suncrest Towne Centre, a �lifestyle center� located just across W.Va. 705, on the old Straight Farm, a property Wal-Mart once sought for a Supercenter.
   For this project, the developers are legally known as Gateway Towne Centre, the name they had once called the project.
   The development will be mostly retail. Plans include a cinema, 150,000 square feet of office space overlooking the center, restaurants, a bank and other businesses.
   The fire is under investigation by the state Fire Marshal, said Ryan Thorne, deputy director of the Monongalia County Office of Emergency Management.

   Investigators are looking into the cause of a fire that consumed four buildings Thursday in the Suncrest Village condominium complex.
   State Fire Marshals, U.S. Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, local fire officials, and members of the 705-Five Development Group began the inquiry Friday among smoldering remains.
   �Several people from my office and the ATF are inside [the community center] making a general plan,� said John McGinnis, assistant fire marshal. �All indications are that the fire started in the lower units [northwest side]. We�re taking pictures, and we�re also talking to witnesses and firefighters that were on the scene. But it�s going to be days before we know anything.�
   The fire destroyed four of six buildings within the complex. These buildings each contained 24 units.
   The two buildings not destroyed were partially occupied, but they were quickly evacuated and no injuries were reported.
   Mon County Commissioner Bob Bell said that, according to his information, 56 units had been sold, and 30 of those units were occupied.
   705-Five partner David Biafora said that some people displaced by the fire returned to their dwellings Friday. He also expects most people will return in a relatively short time.
   �They could come back right now,� he said. �The damage to their buildings was very minor, with some paint peeling and a little chipping on the outside. In fact � I don�t know if this is good or bad � but we sold a couple more units today.�

Insurance covers buildings

The group and condominium owners are covered through two separate types of insurance policies, David Biafora said.
   �The project itself is covered by what is called �builder�s risk� insurance,� he said. �We pay for that while construction is under way. When a unit is occupied, the owner pays dues to Suncrest Village Homeowners Association. In turn, the association uses some of that money on a policy that covers them. It�s a typical insurance plan for townhouses.�
   Michael S. Garrison, an attorney representing 705-Five Development Group, released a statement on behalf of the group Friday after- noon. He thanked the Morgantown Fire Department and all surrounding area volunteer fire departments.
   �Because of their quick action and immediate response, residents of the property were not harmed and no lives were lost,� Garrison wrote. �Residents have been relocated temporarily to the Waterfront Place Hotel at the expense of the 705-Five Development Group. In addition, the partners are pleased that the two completed buildings sustained almost no damage due to the integrity of their construction.�
   Neither Biafora nor Garrison gave estimates on the cost of damages.
   As officials formulated an investigation plan from inside an office building, firefighters bulldozed debris into piles and workers replaced bits of roofing on buildings that received only minor damage.
Security at the site was rigid, with Rick Raspa & Associates shooing away media and onlookers.
�Leave now, or go to jail,� Raspa shouted.
Raspa later told The Dominion Post he was providing security for 705-Five Development Group and apologized for being abrupt.
�The ATF doesn�t want anybody on the property while the investigation is going on,� he said. �Secondly, there is a safety factor to consider.�
The fire started at about 6 p.m. Thursday and firefighters fought the blaze for about two hours before it was contained.
   Nine volunteer fire departments and the Morgantown Fire Department responded to the blaze. Three other volunteer fire departments were put on stand-by and moved closer to the fire.
   �I was the first one here,� said Jason Quinn, Star City Volunteer Fire Department chief. �I pulled off Poultry Farm Road (which leads to the condominiums) and started helping them hook up the hydrants. I was in my personal truck. It was so hot you could feel the heat from hundreds of yards away.�
   The condominiums sit on a 50-acre site outside the Morgantown city limits. Plans for Suncrest Village included 18 buildings, with 24 units per building in the one- and two-bedroom complexes. Three-bedroom buildings were designed to have 20 units.
   The fire displaced not only condominium owners but workers as well.
   Preston County resident Ray Renshaw was visibly upset Friday when he pulled out of the site with what may be his last paycheck for some time.
   �I was hired by a Morgantown company just three days ago to do trim work,� he said.
   �I came to get my check today, and they told me that they would contact me � maybe in December. This is like my 9/11. This job was my saving grace.�

BY JANET L. METZNER The Dominion Post

ANYONE WHO has information on the Suncrest Village fire is asked to call the arson hotline at (800) 233-3473.
   One more hydrant may have helped fight the fire Thursday at Suncrest Village Condominium complex, Star City Chief Jason Quinn said.
   �If we had one extra hydrant, could we have saved one more building? I honestly don�t know. We would have had a better chance of it though,� he said.
   Suncrest Village, off W.Va. 705, is in Star City VFD�s service area.
   On Thursday evening, Quinn coordinated the efforts of firefighters from nine Monongalia County volunteer fire departments and the Morgantown Fire Department to battle the blaze that consumed four unoccupied condominium buildings.
   Firefighters used the one fire hydrant in front of the Suncrest Village office, but the other hydrant was so far away it could have contributed to water pressure problems that night, Quinn said. It was located over a hillside, down by the lowest point of the property.
   Firefighters had to stretch a couple thousand feet of fire hose to get the hydrant�s water to the scene. Usually, one pumper truck carries 1,400 feet of 4-inch hose, he said.
   �Water traveling through a hose causes friction, that loses pressure at the pump itself,� he said. �When you have to stretch out thousands of feet of water hose, just to get a water supply, that, to me, is a very bad thing,� Quinn said.
   Firefighters had to use additional water from the swimming pool, and four to six tanker trucks continually brought in more water from the hydrant in front of Suburban Lanes, Quinn said.
   Monday, Quinn called for developers in the county to consult with their fire departments and Morgantown Utility Board about where to place fire hydrants.
   �I wish that the developers would contact the fire departments to work with the utility board to work on hydrant placement,� he said. �It would be in a developer�s best interest for the protection of their property to consult the fire department and MUB jointly, to see that there is an adequate number of hydrants on any property that is built,� he said.
   Quinn said developers of The District Apartments, another complex in Star City VFD�s service area, �gave me carte blanche� in suggesting where to put hydrants.
   He said he marked on their plans every place he would like to have a hydrant, and they put them there.
   �Ultimately, (The District) is probably one of the best covered properties in the county as far as hydrants,� Quinn said.
   �In my opinion, if someone wants to build a 10-unit apartment complex, they should come to us (VFDs) and ask,� he said.
   Quinn said he will send a letter to Commissioner Asel Kennedy requesting that apartment complex developers be required to consult with VFDs and MUB regarding hydrant placement.
   Kennedy said it�s a good idea that developers consult their VFD on hydrant placement, and he hopes that more do so.
   Developers already consult with MUB on development plans, Kennedy said. For example, the developers of Suncrest Village consulted with MUB about the hydrants there.
   Kennedy said the commission will likely address the issue at their meeting June 21 or June 28, but probably not earlier.
   Commissioners need time to research the issue before they make suggestions, he said.
   The Suncrest Village fire burned for two hours and destroyed four unoccupied condominium buildings. The two occupied condo buildings and the community center received some heat damage.
   After spending a night away from their home, residents were allowed back in the two occupied condominium buildings Friday.
   County Commission President Bob Bell has said that, according to his information, 56 units had been sold, and 30 of them were occupied.
   Two more had been sold Friday, said David Biafora, one of the partners in 705 Five developers.
   Partners are Biafora, Rick Biafora, Pat Alexander, Larry Palumbo and Bob Toth.
   David Biafora, who has acted as spokesman for the group, and Mike Garrison, attorney for the group, could not be reached for comment Monday.
   The W.Va. Fire Marshal�s Office continues investigating the cause of the fire, said Kim O�Brien, secretary for the investigation division of the W.Va. Fire Marshal�s Office.
   �At this point in time, all I can say is that it does remain under active investigation by our office as well as the ATF,� O�Brien said. The ATF is the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
   Anyone who has information on the fire, is asked to call the Arson hotline at (800) 233-3473.
   �That does not necessarily mean it has been determined as arson. We have not ruled (a cause) on the fire at all,� O�Brien said.
   Quinn said that, when he arrived at the scene, he saw one building fully involved in the fire, and one partially involved. He said he did not know where the fire started, though, because the two buildings behind them were not visible to him.
   He said it took some time for him to make his way to the back, to see those other buildings.
   �The investigation will find that (the order of the buildings catching fire) out,� he said.
   State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis confirmed that he does not know what caused the fire, or where it started.
   Lewis said he did not know if the electricity was hooked up to the unoccupied buildings that burned. �We don�t know. We haven�t finished investigating it yet. We have to be thorough, he said.
   He said the ATF is involved because �they like to get in with us when we have a large dollar loss.�
   The amount of loss has not been confirmed. The buildings each contained 24 units. One-bedroom units are priced for sale at $109,900, and two-bedroom units begin at $157,900.

   Workers hosed off dozens of white plastic lawn chairs Tuesday, stacked in front of the community center building at Suncrest Village.
   Five days earlier, a fire destroyed four incomplete, unoccupied condominium buildings there. Two occupied ones were spared.
   An area rug hung on a thirdfloor condominium railing, and construction continued just outside the gates to the complex, as workers graded a roadway.
   In contrast, the back of the complex resembled a war zone.
   The foundations, topped by arches and decorated with brown and beige stone were all that remained of the former buildings.
   Ruined drywall and black ash had been separated into piles beside one of the charred structures. Large trash bins held grayish rubble from the fire.
   Several pieces of construction equipment stood where they had been before the fire started at about 6 p.m. Thursday. Their tires melted during the blaze, leaving wheels embedded in the dusty ground.
   Within the destroyed buildings, steel I-beams hung bowed, and twisted or broken from the intense heat of the fire.
   Star City Fire Chief Jason Quinn coordinated the firefighting efforts Thursday, because the complex is in his Star City volunteer fire department�s service area.
   Quinn said an additional hydrant may have helped fight the fire, but placement of the existing two hydrants was the main problem.
   Namely, one was so far away that a couple of thousand feet of hose had to be used to access it. That length of hose likely caused friction of the water passing through, causing periods of weak flow, Quinn said.
   Firefighters from nine county volunteer fire departments and the Morgantown Fire Department battled the blaze, Quinn said.
   Firefighters used about 750,000 gallons of water to battle the catastrophic fire, said general manager Jim Green of the Morgantown Utility Board.
   That estimate is based on the amount of water used from MUB tanks, and the amount being pumped into the system during the time the fire was fought, Green said.
   They used the two hydrants on site, and tanker trucks brought in water from a hydrant nearby, and to the hydrant in front of Suburban lanes, Green said.
   Quinn said Monday that the size of the lines could have contributed to the problem as well. He said he does not know the size of the water lines.
   �One of our engines that was supplied by a hydrant ... dropped below the acceptable intake pressure several times and had to be shut down,� he said.
   He said about five engines were pumping water at any given time, including pumping water from a dump tank � a foldable container on the ground, that can hold a couple thousands of gallons of water. The tank is used for back-up water supply, he said.
   On Monday, Quinn called for developers in the county to meet with their VFD and MUB to review development plans, and where hydrants should be put.
   Quinn said the developers of The District apartments did that, and now have some of the best hydrant coverage in the county.
   On Tuesday morning, Green agreed that developers should talk with VFDs about placing hydrants.
   �This was a catastrophic fire. It comes down to �How many streams of water can you put on that fire?� if you�ve got just a limited number of locations where to put that hose. ... You need to get a firefighter�s opinion if you are going to build a densely-populated set of buildings.�
   Green said the utility does not consult on how many hydrants are needed for fighting fires � that�s firefighters� area of expertise.
   And property owners are responsible for how many hydrants are placed on their property to access the water available, he said. �Public or private fire protection are all up to the owners of the properties.
   �When developers come in with plans for development, they locate their hydrants where they want to. MUB�s dog isn�t even in that fight,� Green said.
The two hydrants at Suncrest Village did the job they were supposed to do Green said. Together, they put out �over 4,000 gallons per minute,� Green said. �They had more than enough.� An acceptable amount is about 2,500 per hydrant for commercial property, he said. The development could use more hydrants, he said. One hydrant, which firefighters said was far away from most of the fire, was located six paces from one of the buildings that burned, Green said. It was located at the lowest point of the complex. �They (firefighters) probably didn�t get to that one (at first) because it was too hot initially,� Green said.
   Green said the Suncrest Village hydrants have excellent water capacity because MUB�s tank on the old WVU orchard property is only about a mile away. A 16-inch main water line extends from the tank along W.Va. 705 toward the medical center. An 8-inch line off of that main supplies Suncrest Village, Green said. The hydrants are connected to 6- inch lines, the national standard, he said.
   �They didn�t have a shortage of water. It was available. They didn�t have the places to connect. That�s why they (the VFD) say they need more hydrants,� Green said.
   Mike Garrison, attorney for Suncrest Village developers 705-Five, said Tuesday evening that there were enough hydrants, but disagreed with Green regarding responsibility.
   �We feel confident the two buildings were saved because we did have adequate fire hydrants there,� Garrison said.
   �It�s really not the developers� fire system. The Morgantown Utility Board played a role in that.�
   When asked what role, Garrison said, �They designed and approved it. It is my understanding that MUB designs the fire hydrant system and operates the fire hydrant system as the utility board,� he said.
   When asked if more hydrants are planned for the development, Garrison said, �I don�t know. I think that would depend on how many buildings go in. Again, the plans are approved by MUB. Systems approved by MUB. We will do everything we are asked to do by the utility company.�
   When asked what insurance company insures 705-Five, Garrison said he could not answer because the investigation is ongoing.
   The W.Va. Fire Marshal�s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating.
   Green said all the buildings on site at the time of the fire had sprinkler systems. But the four buildings that burned did not have the sprinkler systems turned on. That�s because the buildings were not far enough along in their construction.
   The occupied buildings� sprinkler systems were on, and would have helped save those buildings if they had been needed, Green said.

   Buck Jennings describes a common fear among builders.
   �Every contractor there is � every night closes his eyes and wonders if everything will be there in the morning.�
   Jennings, construction superintendent for Fountain View condominiums, said buildings under construction are vulnerable. It�s a different story after they�re completed and people move in � because sprinkler systems are on and protect from fire damage.
   At Fountain View, being developed by Fountain View LLC, one building is complete and three are framed, Jennings said. To make sure Fountain View is fire protected, Jennings asked Fire Chief Jason Quinn, of the Star City Volunteer Fire Department, to visit the property.
   On Tuesday, he showed Quinn the one existing hydrant, and where he wants to put in a �dry hydrant� that will pull thousands of gallons of water from the property�s retention ponds. Two additional hydrants are also planned along with the development, Jennings said.
   He had planned to do this earlier, but was galvanized to action by a fire at another developer�s property � Suncrest Village.
   The fire, less than two weeks ago and just a few miles away, destroyed four condominium buildings under construction by 705-Five Development Group.
   Quinn led nine of 12 Monongalia County volunteer fire departments and the Morgantown Fire Department in battling the blaze. Days afterward, Quinn urged developers to meet with their local fire department and the Morgantown Utility Board to plan how many hydrants there should be, and where to put them.
   That�s because the two fire hydrants on the Suncrest Village property weren�t enough, Quinn said. One was so far away that firefighters had to use several thousand feet of hose. The distance may have contributed to low water pressure that forced firefighters to shut down one engine several times, he said.
   Quinn said he is glad to see developers are getting his message.
   �It�s just good to know that some of the developers are finally taking fire safety as a priority and consulting with us,� he said.
   Fountain View has several fire safety measures in place. These include a sprinkler system, an alarm system with fire box to show where the fire is, and pull stations at all entrances to alert residents of a fire, Jennings said.
   Fountain View isn�t alone in asking for the VFD�s help, Quinn said. During the planning stages of The District Apartments, which opened last year, developers there asked Quinn for help placing hydrants.
   That development, Quinn said, now has the best hydrant coverage in the county.

Were there enough hydrants?

Whether there were enough hydrants at Suncrest Village has been an issue of debate since the fire.
   Morgantown attorney Mike Garrison, who represents the developers of Suncrest Village, 705-Five Development Group, has said devel- opers are confident there were enough hydrants there.
   Quinn disagrees.
   �My stance is that there were not enough hydrants to hook up to,� he said, adding that the more than 4,000 gallons per minute that MUB said the hydrants produced weren�t enough, either.
   A building that size requires 9,745 gallons per minute � for just one building, Quinn said.
   County tankers hauled in water from several other hydrants, one in front of Suburban Lanes on W.Va. 705.
   MUB General Manager Jim Green said they used a hydrant located nearby on Maple Drive, as well.
   The Suncrest Village fire investigation continued Tuesday, with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives still on the scene, as well as insurance investigators, Quinn said.
   Quinn said he is not certain if the state Fire Marshal�s Office is still investigating. The office was closed Tuesday, and no one could be reached for comment.
   Green said MUB does not consult about the number of hydrants necessary. That�s up to property owners to protect their property.
   He noted that the two hydrants at Suncrest Village did the job they were designed to do � putting out more than 4,000 gallons per minute.
   An acceptable amount is about 2,500 gallons per minute, per hydrant for commercial property, he said.
   However, the development could use more hydrants, to access more of the water available, he said.

Suncrest met guidelines

Erie Insurance insures Suncrest Village, said Mark Dombrowski, spokesman for Erie.
   He said Erie underwrites based on ISO standards, which include accessibility to fire hydrants and how close a fire company is located form the property.
   �In those instances their fire protection also was within our underwriting guidelines,� Dombrowski said.
   ISO is a company that supplies data and decision-support services in various fields. For example, it analyzes fire departments on fire protection services, and rates them for insurance purposes.
   Quinn said that each fire department has an ISO rating based on information such as response times for past calls, how well the area is covered by hydrants and the 911 system.
   Insurance companies base a developer�s insurance premiums on that rating, Quinn said.
   Dombrowski said Erie also considers a developer�s insurability.
   Dombrowski said he could not give details on the Suncrest Village insurance policy. He also did not know if there are supplemental policies.
   �At this point, it still is a claim under investigation,� he said.
   Quinn said he went out to Suncrest Village during its early construction stages to verify that sprinklers and fire alarm systems were planned, and to assure there would be proper �fire barriers� � including doors, walls and floors that can slow the progress of a fire.
   It met those standards, he said.