By Ron Clayton
Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
Copyright 2006 Chattanooga Publishing Company
ATHENS, Tenn. — The recent drop in the city’s fire protection rating isn’t because its fire department is bad; it’s just small and underequipped, local officials said.
“As a group I don’t think we could have a better department; they are just undermanned,” City Councilman Dick Pelley said Friday. “You can always count on them for anything you ask. They are especially helpful bringing trucks to the schools to teach children.”
The Insurance Services Organization in August dropped the city’s fire protection rating by one point, from Class 3 to Class 4. The ISO said the city had failed over several years to build stations, buy equipment and hire firefighters to keep up with the city’s growth.
Local officials worried the ratings drop could cause property insurance rates to increase. Mayor John Proffitt in November appointed a committee of local officials and civic leaders to assess what the city needs and can afford to upgrade fire services and regain its Class 3 rating.
Councilman Hal Buttram said this week he believes city leaders will address firefighter safety and other issues.
“We have a very good fire department,” Mr. Buttram said.
Fire Chief Bob Miller has been in charge of the Athens Fire Department since 1989. He said Athens residents should know they have an excellent group of firefighters protecting their lives and property.
“When I leave here at night, I don’t have to worry about the department,” Chief Miller said. “There are few times I have to take an incident command. Our leadership and firefighters are experienced. Fifty percent of our department has 20 years of experience.”
The chief said the department has added three fire engines and a rescue truck during his tenure and has improved its prevention and inspection program.
He said the department has 20 full-time and 10 volunteer firefighters, with six on duty at any time. Off-duty firefighters and volunteers are called to major fires. Chief Miller said the average response time is four minutes or less.
Gary West, with the University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service, said the response time is one of the best in the state. Mr. West, who is advising the fire committee, said the city also has a low fire loss rate.
But ISO ratings are based on distances between stations and locations in the city, not how quickly a fire department responds, Chief Miller said. The city also lost points for not having a ladder truck to respond to all fires.
Athens officials plan to use fleet management funds to buy a new “quint” multipurpose truck with a 75-foot ladder. It will replace a 1988 pumper that likely will be put into reserve. The city has a snorkel truck for aerial water attacks, Chief Miller said.
But the truck won’t satisfy ISO mandates for additional manpower and stations, officials agreed.
“Anytime there is a study, there will be positive things that come out of it,” Chief Miller said. “It puts the fire department in the forefront and brings attention to the citizens.”
He said that besides protecting lives and property, firefighters also do public service work such as speaking at schools, training people to use fire extinguishers or serving on local committees.
“And anytime you look down the road and see one might be getting more equipment and manpower, it helps morale in the department,” Chief Miller said.