The Insurance Services Office (ISO) announced July 8 that Peachtree City was being awarded the highest rating possible for fire protection services, upgrading from a Class 3 to a Class 1.
The community improved its rating from a Class 4 to Class 3 in 2010.
The change in rating could mean savings in insurance premiums for Peachtree City property owners.
ISO evaluates fire protection efforts in cities and districts throughout the country on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being the best. The ratings are calculated using multiple factors, such as the effectiveness of the fire department itself, the water supply system, and the communications center. Traditionally Fayette County’s water and communications systems’ scores have been disproportionately higher than the rating of the fire department.
In 2014, ISO rewrote their scoring system to incorporate factors such as community involvement for fire prevention, record keeping, and actual response statistics — areas in which the Peachtree City Fire Department has traditionally performed very strongly and is now receiving additional credit toward the rating.
“There are currently only 11 communities in Georgia with an ISO Class 1 rating, and only 138 out of 47,000 communities evaluated throughout the United States,” said Peachtree City Fire Chief Joe O’Conor.
While O’Conor notes the changes in ISO’s evaluation system will change those figures in the coming year, he added, “We are very proud that Peachtree City has made this list.”
Chief O’Conor emphasized that this rating is a result of a team effort. “It has taken a tremendous amount of effort on everyone’s part, digitizing years of training records, revising business inspection records, and obtaining accurate data on the City’s hydrant system.”
O’Conor noted that the Fayette County Water System also plays an important role, as does Fayette County Communications, which recently made a significant capital investment in upgrades to its phone and Computer Aided Dispatch systems.
Michael Morash, a representative from ISO, announced Peachtree City’s new Class 1 rating during a special presentation to the Mayor and members of the City’s Senior Leadership Team at their June 8 meeting.
“We have a department full of outstanding career and volunteer personnel who are dedicated to providing the very best fire and emergency medical services to their community,” said O’Conor. “Peachtree City’s ISO Class rating is something our entire staff works hard to achieve, and they will strive to maintain the Class 1 rating for years to come.”
The 2010 upgrade in the City’s ISO rating resulted in some residents seeing reductions in their home owner’s insurance premiums. Although a similar reduction is not guaranteed for the Class 1 rating, Chief O’Conor recommended that each home and business property owner discuss this change with their agent.
For a copy of the ISO letter to provide to your insurance agency, visit www.peachtree-city.org/fire.
