Fire safety’s bottom-line effect
Every homeowner who writes those insurance checks knows the principle: The safer the living conditions and more durable the structure, the more likely it is that the premiums will be adjusted accordingly.
The same principle that applies to a building applies to a city, in this case Columbus. The safety factor in this instance is the Columbus Fire & EMS Department, which just received a rating of “1” from a New Jersey accrediting organization.
In this case the number 1 doesn’t mean the department is necessarily the best in the country — but it does mean that, in this context, there are none better.
Indeed, this is a pretty exclusive club. As senior writer Chuck Williams reported over the weekend, the Insurance Services Office, which analyzes fire departments’ actuarial, statistical, underwriting and claims data, has given the its top rating to some 240 departments — in the nation. (Columbus has one of only 12 in Georgia.)
Fire & EMS Chief Jeff Meyer was informed of the rating on Friday, and said insurers “use the ISO Public Protection Classification to calculate risk … I would encourage property owners in Muscogee County to contact their insurer after Sept. 1 and see if there is an impact.”
One of the most significant factors, as noted in Williams’ report, is the city’s water supply, flow and access: Columbus scored 39.1 out of a possible 40 points in that ISO category. Again, it’s a familiar principle: Proximity to a fire station and/or water supply factors into risk assessment.
Mayor Teresa Tomlinson commended Meyer and others in the department for “getting us here.” We second the accolades.
Another success
It’s called the Phenix City Mayor’s Annual Education and Charity Ball, but this year’s event had to be held in Columbus. There was a good reason for that — in fact, the best reason of all: The number of people buying tickets to attend made a larger venue, in this instance the Rivermill Event Centre, necessary to accommodate the Saturday night crowd.
“We don’t have a place this large in Phenix City, yet,” Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe said.
But on this occasion, it hardly mattered. The fourth Mayor’s Ball, created by Lowe and his wife Deborah to raise educational and humanitarian aid for the community, brought in more than $119,000.
“We are grateful that we were able to be in Columbus,” Lowe said. “There are a lot of people and businesses that contribute over in Columbus because they see the cause is bigger than any of us.”
The funds raised at the annual event provide college scholarships for graduates of Central High School and Glenwood School in Phenix City, as well as charitable aid to the community’s disadvantaged.
Let’s hope future Phenix City Mayor’s Charity Balls will require venues at least this big, wherever they’re held. The families that benefit from the generosity of those who attend won’t be picky about it.
This story was originally published June 12, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Fire safety’s bottom-line effect."