In 1987, one of the largest insurers for California Fire Districts informed the fire industry that they would not be renewing their insurance in the coming year. Fire Chief Rich Blacker took the task upon himself to survey the other California Fire Districts and the response was overwhelming that an insurance alternative was desperately needed. This was when FAIRA was conceived.
Chiefs and Board Directors of the eleven Charter Fire Protection Districts worked together for over a year to draft the original Joint Powers Authority Agreement, Bylaws, and fulfilled all of the legal and registration requirements with the Secretary of State. The Chiefs and Directors of the charter Districts each dedicated many hours of work and attended multiple meetings throughout the state. The individual Districts provided their own support and expected no compensation in return. In the end, the FDAC advanced FAIRA $5,000 to cover legal costs and the money was repaid the following year.
FAIRA's first year of operation resulted in an immediate premium reduction of 30%. Not only did we create a solution that guaranteed continuous coverage and reduced premiums, today FAIRA is the largest and only multi-state Fire District pool in the United States. Those charter Districts who have been Members since inception have received cumulative savings of 50% or more in actual dollars, even while experiencing considerable growth in the same time period. Many years later, FAIRA is now insuring 105 Fire Protection Agencies/JPA's in Nevada and California and is continuing to grow. The insurance pool offers services beyond the purchase of insurance that include contract review, risk management, loss control and a host of training tools.
Susan Blankenburg
General Manager