Improvements raise ISO ratings

Residents in the county within the Pea Ridge Fire Department area should see an improvement in their fire insurance rates after the Insurance Service Office inspection resulted in improved ISO ratings, according to Fire Chief Jamie Baggett.

The inspection was conducted in June and included inspection of staffing, equipment and training.

"They look at fire hydrants, how much water we get from which hydrants at remote locations, the distance from the hydrant to the site," Capt. Josh King said.

The ISO rate went from a 9 to a 5 outside the city limits. Within the city limits, rates improved from a 5 to a 4.

The fire hydrants are owned by the Water Department but are tested by the Fire Department, Baggett said, explaining that the fire code regulates the size of the supply line to the hydrant depending on how large the structure nearby is. He said the water supply has greatly increased, too.

"It's actually a pretty large process to get done," Baggett said. The last ISO inspection was in 1991. "A lot of things have changed. We've had Two-Ton come through -- water pressure has changed, equipment has changed."

The Fire Department received credit for the way the department is dispatched through Benton County Central Communications and the upgrades at CENCOM.

"This was the last thing Frank (former Fire Chief Frank Rizzio) wanted to do before he left. Frank actually requested it; we started working on it then," Baggett said.

"We set up the trucks and the flow had to reach 500 gallons/minute for five minutes," King explained about some of the tests of the equipment.

"The rates mean we have better equipment. The department is improving," Baggett said, adding that the inspection also showed him areas in which the department can continue to improve.

At Station 1, there are two pumpers, one pumper tender (tanker), a brush truck, two ambulances and a ladder truck, Baggett said. At Station 2 (on Hickman Road), there is an engine and a pumper truck. All equipment is tested and inspected regularly.

One area, Jones Trailer Park, saw an ISO rating of a 10 because the area has to be within five driving miles of a fire station.

Many of the improvements are expensive, including full-time staffing, Baggett explained. He said the ambulance staffing and equipment is not considered in the Fire Department ISO ratings.

"Our training has gone up substantially," Baggett said. A new hire employee has to do 240 hours of training in a year. "We try to do 12 hours a month."

Weekly Fire Department meetings are for training and include fire fighter, driver and Hazmat training.

Baggett and several of his officers are qualified instructors. "All of our training is reported to the Arkansas Fire Academy, then the National Fire Academy asks for the information."

All Fire Department personnel are required to maintain their training.

"The Fire Department has changed a lot in the last 20 years. It's gone from strictly volunteer to a combination department," Baggett said. "There are quite a few guys who work here 24 hours. It's an ever changing thing."

"This isn't a small town anymore. There are departments, like Gravette, that are full time. We have to find a way to bring in more money," he said, adding that he has applied for and received several grants that have helped with equipment purchases.