Youngstown Fire Dept. ranks with best in nation

Tens of thousands of people who live or work in the city of Youngstown can breathe a little easier these days over their personal safety and security.

That’s because a highly respected evaluator of public safety-service agencies has elevated the quality of service provided by the Youngstown Fire Department to the top 2 percent of nearly 50,000 such departments across the United States.

The Insurance Services Office, a credible provider of statistical, actuarial, underwriting and claims information for the insurance industry, recently completed an exhaustive investigation of the department and liked what it saw. It raised the department’s rating to a Class 2 level, which puts it in exclusive and respected company of only about 1,000 of the nearly 50,000 U.S. fire agencies that ISO monitors.

The city, Fire Chief John O’Neill and his crew of 128 firefighters and staff deserve communitywide thanks and congratulations for a job well done.

After all, achieving the superior ranking is no easy feat. According to Chief O’Neill, the ISO subjects each fire department it evaluates to extremely high and rigid standards.

The ISO rates public fire departments on three overarching criteria: its training and equipment, its dispatching system and response times and the quality of its water system.

According to O’Neill, the city fire department improved in all three categories, with particularly strong gains in the quality of its equipment, its response times and the maintenance and distribution of its hydrants and water supplies.

The report also noted a significant reduction in property losses since the last evaluation five years ago, a result likely attributable to quicker response times to the nearly 3,000 calls the department receives annually. O’Neill and his crew at eight stations also drew praise for a noteworthy increase in the quality of its available technology.

TANGIBLE BENEFITS

The ISO’s rave review, however, is more than just cause for collective cheer. It also brings with it a slew of lasting benefits. Prime among them is the comfort and security of city residents and city workers who can rest assured that their fire department is professional, competent, speedy and several cuts above the vast majority of its peers throughout the United States.

In addition, the stronger rating can reap some tangible rewards for home- owners and business owners. Many insurance companies use ISO ratings as one of several factors used to set their insurance premiums. Higher ISO ratings traditionally translate into lower premiums.

Come Nov. 1, when the Class 2 level officially takes effect, policy holders would be wise to contact their insurance companies to report the higher rating and seek out lower premiums.

The ranking also can enhance the work of economic development agencies promoting the city to potential new businesses and industries. Knowing that a company’s staff and property would enjoy an elite brand of safety-service responders certainly serves as one important drawing card.

The new ranking also stands out because of the financial woes that have befallen the city in recent years. With reductions in city tax revenue of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the department is proving it can do more with less.

LOWER MARKS ON STAFFING

The ISO report also indicates that the YFD ideally could stand added reinforcements to its crew of about 12 dozen firefighters and staff. In fact, one of its few lower marks – 50 percent – that may have prevented it from achieving the top Class 1 ranking dealt with the size of its staff. ISO believes more are needed.

We prefer to view that lower ranking, however, as a positive since it shows that city firefighters can achieve greatness even without the optimum crew levels envisioned by ISO.

To his credit, O’Neill pledges not to rest on his and his department’s laurels. The chief said he has assembled a study group to parse through all the findings and data of the comprehensive evaluation to find where additional improvements can be implemented.

He and others will focus intently – and realistically – on areas where costs are not a major factor, such as the quality of record keeping.

Such scrutiny, self-monitoring and striving for excellence are hallmarks of good government in action. For that, the fire department has earned commendation.