By Susan McCord
The Augusta Chronicle
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Property owners may see a break in insurance premiums because Augusta Fire Department has achieved an Insurance Services Office rating of 1-1X, the highest possible, Fire Chief Chris James announced Tuesday.
“Augusta becomes one of only 18 communities across Georgia to achieve this top rating,” James said. “This rating is a testament to the hard work our staff has put into raising our rating and making our city a safer place to work and live.”
The rating scale goes from 10 to 1, with a 1 being the highest. The rating measures a department’s readiness and response capabilities and is used by insurance companies to determine the price of property insurance.
The rating is a first for the 130-year-old department and Augusta’s rating is up from the 3-3X the consolidated government was first assigned in 2011, James said. Prior to that combined rating, the pre-consolidation city was a 2, and the unincorporated county was a 5, he said.
The rating brings Augusta to the same level as Columbia County, which was rated a 1 last year. James said it was a goal that required the work of numerous staff to ensure the necessary equipment, aid agreements, water supply, communications, policies and procedures, maintenance and training levels were in place.
“This is the first time in my career that I have been associated with a Class 1 fire department,” Augusta Administrator Janice Allen Jackson said. “I am immensely proud of Chief James for his strategic leadership, and all of the men and women of AFD for their hard work and dedication.”
Mayor Hardie Davis said the rating will make Augusta more attractive to the incoming cyber industry.
“This rating is a strong reassurance to our incoming cybersecurity businesses and their employees that Augusta is the place to be,” Davis said. “They will save on insurance costs while knowing that the city is providing the best protection possible for their families and businesses.”
Copyright 2017 The Augusta Chronicle