The Insurance Services Office (ISO) completed a Public Protection Classification (PPC) survey during the last quarter of 2003 for Athens-Clarke County that resulted in the overall fire safety rating for ACC being upgraded to a Class 2/9 from the previous Class 3/9. Throughout the United States, only 0.7% of communities rated by ISO have achieved a Class 2 rating. In the state of Georgia, Athens-Clarke County is the second countywide Fire Department to achieve a Class 2 rating.

ISO is the leading supplier of statistical, underwriting, and actuarial information for the insurance industry. ISO ratings are used by insurers to calculate premiums on residential, commercial, and industrial property within a community. The new ISO rating for Athens-Clarke County will take effect on September 1, 2004.

“The Class 2 rating for Athens-Clarke County represents a multi-department effort that began six years ago,” said Chief Wendell Faulkner of Fire and Emergency Services. “This positive step forward for public safety is the result of cooperation between elected officials, the Manager’s Office, Fire and Emergency Services, Public Utilities, Communications, and SPLOST. In 1998, we developed a game plan to achieve this goal and have made many recommendations to the Mayor and Commission. Past and present elected officials have consistently supported allocating funds to reach this goal and their support has been critical.”

ISO rates a community based upon a set of criteria defined in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). Three major features are evaluated: fire alarm and communication systems – 10%, Fire Department infrastructure – 50%, and water supply systems – 40%.

Athens-Clarke County has improved its 800-megahertz communication system through the use of SPLOST funds, including the first installation in the United States of an integrated Motorola MOSCAD™ Fire Station Alerting and MOSCAD Siren Control system. The MOSCAD system enables 911 dispatchers to transmit automated commands to all fire stations simultaneously and communicate to firefighters within seconds after sending the alerts. The system provides an escalating tone pre-alert to the stations involved in the emergency response, automatically opens fire station doors, and turns on station lights at the appropriate station. The system also provides dispatchers the capability to remotely monitor and close the fire station doors.

The Fire Department opened Fire Station # 7 on Barnett Shoals Road and the Fire Training Center in 1999. These critical facilities were constructed using general fund and SPLOST monies. The Athens-Clarke County Fire Department has also added three additional fire stations within the past year. The three stations improve the ability of the department to respond to an alarm within their desired goal of five minutes. Fire Stations #3 and #4 replaced aging fire stations in the Five Points and Oglethorpe Road areas respectively. Fire Station #8 is new and serves the Jefferson Road area. These improvements were paid for using SPLOST funds.

The Athens-Clarke County water distribution system was upgraded and expanded utilizing Public Utilities Department and SPLOST funds. Approximately 40 miles of new water lines have been extended into the community along major roadways to provide public water service and enhanced fire protection to 95% of the population. All major roadways throughout the county now have public water service and fire protection available. The Fire Department and Public Utilities examined the needs countywide for fire protection and consumer use. Water lines and hydrants were installed in critical areas and both departments have active plans to extend more lines and hydrants into areas not currently covered in order to provide public water service to 100% of the community. This proposal is currently under consideration by the SPLOST 2005 Citizen Advisory Committee.

“ISO is an outside organization that is in the business of reviewing Fire Departments across the country. For this company to say Athens-Clarke County has one of the best Fire Departments in the nation only validates what those of us who live here have known for some time,” said Mayor Heidi Davison. “This ISO rating increase illustrates our ability as a government to set definable, multi-departmental goals that benefit all our citizens and businesses.”