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HOUSES.
SO HOW DOES THIS WORK?
MARTIN SAVIDGE IS "OUTFRONT."
>> Reporter: IN AN UPSCALE,
SCORCHED SUBDIVISION A FIRE TEAM
DEALS WITH ONE OF THE LAST HOT
SPOTS OF THE BLACK FOREST FIRE.
THEY LOOK LIKE REAL
FIREFIGHTERS, BECAUSE THEY ARE.
BUT THESE MEN AREN'T HERE TO
PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY'RE HERE TO PROTECT JUST
THIS ONE HOME.
THEY'RE PRIVATE FIREFIGHTERS.
HIRED BY INSURANCE COMPANIES.
FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE IT
MAKES SENSE.
THE COST OF A PRIVATE FIRE CREW
IS FAR LESS THAN THE COST OF
REPLACING A HOME.
>> SO I THINK YOU'RE REALLY
SEEING IT HERE IN THE WEST
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE DROUGHT,
WE DO HAVE THE HIGHER WILDFIRE
RISK AND WILDFIRE EXPOSURE AND
CUSTOMERS ARE LOOKING FOR THESE
TYPES OF AVENUES TO FURTHER
PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY.
>> Reporter: ACCORDING TO ONE
INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE, 10% OF THE
INSURANCE POLICYHOLDERS IN
WESTERN STATES HAVE THE PRIVATE
FIREFIGHTER SERVICE AS PART OF
THEIR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.
BY NEXT YEAR IT COULD BE 20%.
IN A BIG FIRE, HAVING YOUR OWN
PRIVATE FIRE DEPARTMENT RIGHT IN
THE DRIVEWAY.
I MEAN, WHO WOULDN'T WANT THAT?
BUT THERE ARE QUESTIONS LIKE
WHAT WOULD THEY DO IF YOUR
NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE?
ANYTHING?
OR, WHAT IF THIS CREW GOT IN
TROUBLE?
FIGHTING A MAJOR WILDFIRE
REQUIRES A HUGE AMOUNT OF
COORDINATION BETWEEN LOCAL,
STATE AND FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS.
UNDER A SINGLE COMMAND.
BUT PRIVATE CREWS GET THEIR
ORDERS FROM THEIR OWN COMPANY
DISPATCHER.
AND ULTIMATELY, THE INSURANCE
COMPA
COMPANIES.
THE COMMANDER OF THE BLACK
FOREST FIRE HAS MIXED FEELINGS
ABOUT THE GROWING TREND.
RICH HARVEY LIKES THE IDEA OF
MORE FIRE TRUCKS, MORE
FIREFIGHTERS.
>> BUT THEN HOW DO THEY FOLD IN
TO OUR ORGANIZATION?
BECAUSE THEY DON'T REALLY WORK
FOR US.
THEY'RE KIND OF OUT THERE, AND I
DON'T HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OF
THEM, YET I GOT ULTIMATE
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FIRE.
>> Reporter: AND IF THOSE
PRIVATE CREWS GOT INTO TROUBLE?
HARVEY SAYS, OF COURSE, HE'D
SEND HELP.
>> BUT THAT'S PART OF THE
DILEMMA.
IF I'M HELPING THEM, BECAUSE
THEY GOT IN TROUBLE, I'M
DIVERTING RESOURCES FROM MY
PRIMARY MISSION, TO HELP
SOMEBODY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE
PART OF THE SOLUTION.
>> Reporter: AND ABOUT THAT
OTHER QUESTION, YOU KNOW THE
ONE, WHAT WOULD THOSE PRIVATE
FIREFIGHTERS DO IF THE
NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE?
I WANTED TO ASK THE INSURANCE
COMPANY JUST THAT IN AN
INTERVIEW THAT WE HAD ALL LINED