The City Council is taking a closer look at how the Mt. Vernon Fire Department is managed and how it responds to EMS calls and its equipment.
Questions were posed to MVFD Fire Chief Jim Brown at the most recent City Council Workshop about the Insurance Service Office ratings and how they affect the citizens as well as how equipment and personnel affect those numbers.
Brown said he is asking for two firefighters which were lost to attrition four years ago. In addition, the city is in the process of purchasing a new pumper truck. The truck, which is under construction, is a budgeted expense. The city is slated to receive $350,000 from an Illinois Finance Authority Revolving Loan and is seeking quotes on the additional $258,000 needed to cover the entire cost.
"With our finances, we have to look at everything," said Council Todd Piper. "That includes the fire department."
Brown said the ISO rating -- which is at a "3" for the city -- is affected by manpower and equipment.
According to information about ISO, it is a provider of statistical, actuarial, underwriting and claims information and analytics. It serves insurers, reinsurers, agents and brokers, insurance regulators, risk managers and other participants in the property/casualty insurance marketplace. It was formed in 1971 as an advisory and rating organization for the insurance industry.
Some insurance companies -- for both residential and commercial -- use ISO ratings as part of its quoting process for policies. Some of the items which factor into the ISO rating are manpower, equipment, response times, pre-plans, training, communications and water supply.