TEGA CAY, SC.,– (September 4, 2015) The Tega Cay Fire Department would like to announce the improvement of our Public Protection Classification rating. The Tega Cay Fire Department recently went through a review with the Insurance Services Office (ISO) in order to review and update the fire department's applicable classification rating. The Tega Cay Fire Department is proud to announce that we have been awarded an ISO Class rating of 2. This improvement could translate into lower insurance rates for residents and businesses in the City of Tega Cay.
The Public Protection Classification ratings are utilized by some insurance companies to establish premiums for commercial, residential and industrial customers. The classification system is designed to provide an objective countrywide standard that helps fire departments budget and plan for equipment, training and facilities. The Public Protection Classification system includes 10 classifications, with 1 being the highest and 10 being the lowest. For details about ISO you can go to www.isomitigation.com.
The process is a comprehensive review of the Fire Department itself (50% of total score), our water supply systems (40% of total score) and the emergency communication systems (10% of total score). The Tega Cay Fire Department scored a 84.13 out of a possible 100.5 total rating. To make this relevant, of the approximately 48,800 fire departments in the entire United States, approximately 100 have achieved the top Class 1 rating and approximately 950 have attained the level of a Class 2 rating. The new rating puts the Tega Cay Fire Department in the top 2% of Fire Departments in the United States and in the top 1% in the State of South Carolina. This rating is a reflection of the dedication to service, professionalism, training and commitment of the City and Fire Department to the community that we serve.
The Tega Cay Fire Department was previously an ISO Class 3/8. These numbers represented areas in the District that were either serviced with fire hydrants (the first number) or were rural and did not have fire hydrants (the second number). Over the course of the last 4 years, where our last ISO rating had improved from a 6/9 to a 3/8 in March of 2011, the Fire Department and the City have been diligently working to continue making the improvements necessary to once again, increase and improve our overall rating. After the extensive and comprehensive review process, we were able to achieve an overall rating of Class 2 in the Fire District.
The Class 2 rating also means that we have an excellent working relationship with our surrounding fire departments, the City of Tega Cay Utilities Department and our communication dispatch center, EOC. The Tega Cay Fire Department would like to thank all of our automatic aid fire departments, mutual aid fire departments, the county and EOC for their service and assistance as well. This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of these agencies.