City of Morgan Hill Public Safety Master Plan

CPSM believes that the higher than normal average structure fire loss is more a product of the high property values in the area rather than some inability or lack of proficiency in firefighting tactics or overall competency. It is hard to clearly define a reasoning for the difference in fire loss rates between the City and District. Typically, fire occurrence and fire loss are a product of demographic differences in the population groupings and fire prevention and public education efforts. Another factor that can contribute to these differences is the extended response times typically observed in the District as compared to the City. Tables 4-2 and Table 4-3 provide an analysis of the Morgan Hill/SSCCFD fire loss in 2015.

TABLE 4-2: Content and Property Loss – Structure and Outside Fires

MHFD

Property Loss

Content Loss

Call Type

Loss Value

Number of Calls

Loss Value

Number of Calls

Outside fire

$172,620

18

$84,020

13

Structure fire

$11,500

3

$8,560

4

Total

$184,120

21

$92,580

17

SSCCFD

Property Loss

Content Loss

Call Type

Loss Value

Number of Calls

Loss Value

Number of Calls

Outside fire

$611,200

43

$209,850

26

Structure fire

$2,499,700

19

$331,600

14

Total

$3,110,900

62

$541,450

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Note: This analysis only includes calls with recorded loss greater than 0.

Observations:

Overall ■ Out of 164 outside fires, 61 had recorded property loss, with a combined $783,820 in loss.

■ 39 outside fires also had content loss, with a combined $293,870 in loss.

■ Out of 28 structure fires, 22 had recorded property loss, with a combined $2,511,200 in loss.

■ 18 structure fires also had content loss, with a combined $340,160 in loss.

■ The average loss for a structure fire was $123,972.

MHFD ■ Out of 57 outside fires, 18 had recorded property loss, with a combined $172,620 in loss.

■ 13 outside fires also had content loss, with a combined $84,020 in loss.

■ Out of five structure fires, three had recorded property loss, with a combined $11,500 in loss.

■ Four structure fires also had content loss, with a combined $8,560 in loss.

■ The average loss for a structure fire was $5,015.

SSCCFD ■ Out of 107 outside fires, 43 had recorded property loss, with a combined $611,200 in loss.

■ 26 outside fires also had content loss, with a combined $209,850 in loss.

■ Out of 23 structure fires, 19 had recorded property loss, with a combined $2,499,700 in loss.

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