New Jersey-based ISO rates the nation's 47,000 fire protection jurisdictions and scores them on a 1-10 scale where a 1 exceeds all measurable benchmarks and a 10 fails to meet basic fire protection standards. Those ratings are then presented to the insurance industry and are used in establishing premiums for policyholders.
Tonight’s meeting will take place at 7 o’clock at Pelham-Batesville’s headquarters located at 2761 South Highway 14.
Also tonight, the district’s board will recognize retiring commissioner Jerry Frye, who leaves Pelham-Batesville’s board after four years. He is succeeded on the board by John Parkins, whose term began July 15 and runs through 2016.
The district’s strategic plan will also be unveiled with the highlight of Pelham-Batesville’s modernized mission and vision statements and the district’s strategic goals over the next five years.
In South Carolina, 36 of 640 fire departments hold a Class 2 rating or higher, and Pelham-Batesville’s rating places the department in the top two percent nationally.
According to Chief Phill Jolley, this places his department at an equal level with the City of Greer where Pelham-Batesville provides services on a contract basis.
"Greer residents and business owners can take pride in the fire protection they're receiving. Whether it's the City of Greer or us, they can be sure they're getting equal protection.
"For our taxpayers this upgrade in our ISO classification demonstrates our commitment to improving our capabilities. Hopefully, we help them sleep a little better at night with the knowledge that we're looking out for them."
Jolley said the amount of savings could not be determined. ISO’s PPC program is primarily focused in how well a fire department is equipped to fight a structure fire, so grading only reflects that aspect of a department’s services.
“This is not a complete assessment of the district’s services,” Jolley said. “Most fire departments today are equipped and manned to provide a wide range of emergency services to their respective communities – including medical response, wildlife firefighting, vehicle extrication, rescue and other services.”