Madisonville Fire Department Chief Jason Eli briefed the City Council on the department’s November activities, and announced a positive ISO rating that reflects improvements in the community’s fire protection.
As Chief Jason Eli delivered his report, Mayor Kevin Cotton took a moment to highlight this year’s achievements, which included increasing the city’s ISO, or Insurance Services Office, rating.
click to download audioThe mayor asked Chief Eli to explain what the ISO rating means and how it benefits the community.
click to download audioHe went on to explain that a Class 10 rating is the lowest, indicating no recognized fire protection, while Class 1 is the highest possible score. He said the Madisonville Fire Department is currently a Class 2 rating—just one step away from the top mark.
click to download audioHe noted that departments are typically evaluated every six years, but said they plan to request another review next year, now that they know what steps to take to improve the rating, with hopes of reaching a Class 1.
Chief Eli also pointed out that, of the roughly 33,000 fire departments nationwide, only a select few hold a Class 1 rating. He also agreed with Ward 5 Councilman Frank Stevenson, who emphasized that a higher ISO rating can directly benefit city residents by impacting their insurance rates.
click to download audioChief Eli added that being recognized as a strong Class 2 by a national organization shows the community’s commitment to investing in both fire protection and public service.
During his monthly report, Chief Eli said the fire department made over 120 total runs.
click to download audioHe reported that the department completed 2,071 hours of training, conducted 34 pre-incident inspections, 35 fire prevention inspections, and handled 132 code enforcement cases.
Chief Eli also shared that the department organized 13 community outreach programs, provided one smoke detector, and made contact with 1,057 adults and 1,907 children.
