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Spring Hill Fire Rescue rating up

The fire district is now a Class 3, two grades better than the Class 5 rating it's held for nearly 20 years.

By CHANDRA BROADWATER
Published February 9, 2007

SPRING HILL - Spring Hill Fire Rescue has received top marks from a national group that evaluates fire department performance for insurance companies.

The fire district received official notification of its Class 3 Insurance Services Office Public Protection rating on Wednesday, said Chief J.J. Morrison.

The ratings, primarily used by commercial insurance companies, could bring down rates for some Hernando County businesses.

ISO periodically evaluates municipal fire districts throughout the country. Fire alarm and communications systems, water supply and a department's ability to respond - with personnel and equipment - are all assessed.

"It's pretty impressive," Morrison said. "This is a big deal in the world of fire services. Every department gets rated by ISO."

Rated on a scale of one to 10, with one being the best, Spring Hill Fire managed to improve two points from the Class 5 rating it held for nearly 20 years.

Hernando County Fire Rescue has a split ISO rating of Class 5 - for residents who live within five miles of a fire station and 1,000 feet of a hydrant - and a Class 9 for those who don't. The Brooksville Fire Department has a Class 4 rating.

Of the more than 750 fire municipalities evaluated in the state this year, about 300 received Class 5 and 6 ratings, 124 received Class 4 ratings and 150 received Class 9.

Sixty-five Florida community fire districts received Class 3 marks this year.

Nationally, 1,691 received a similar score.

Five stations received a Class 1 in the state - Apopka, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Hialeah and Coral Gables - of a total of 48 in the country.

Class 2 ratings went to 25 Florida fire districts, and 453 in the nation.

Morrison said that Spring Hill Fire's new ladder truck and increased personnel contributed to the improved rating.

In the past few years, the district has made sure to have at least three firefighters on a truck before it pulls out from a station.

He added that the fire district could have received a higher rating if it weren't for a gap in one part of its coverage area. The area where Station 5 is slated for construction, located on Bannock Street between Stations 1 and 3, has longer response times.

Morrison, who recently returned to part-time duty after nearly eight months of sick leave, said he is more than pleased with Spring Hill Fire's performance.

"I just wanted to make sure that we were maintaining our 5, and to figure out how to get us to a 4," Morrison said. "And here we're in the top 3 percent in the country."

Chandra Broadwater can be reached at cbroadwater@sptimes.com or 352 848-1432.

[Last modified February 8, 2007, 22:24:50]