The Fountain Hills Fire Department has maintained its Class 3 rating for the Public Protection Classification determined by ISO, an insurance underwriters rating organization.

The 3 rating puts the department in a fairly elite category for departments of this size.

It ranks the department in the top 8 percent of all fire agencies in the country, according to Fire Chief Randy Roberts. With 49,010 departments rated nationwide, there are just 3,220 ranked with a Class 3 or better.

ISO just completed its audit of the department, and Roberts said they were able to achieve a score in the mid-70s range that will keep a strong hold on the 3 rating.

The ISO rating scale uses a 1 through 10 ranking with 1 being the best and 10 the lowest rating. The rating applies only to structural fire elements of emergency services.

There are four factors audited in determining the ISO rating, Roberts said. Those include communications, equipment, water delivery system and community risk reduction.

The Public Protection Classification is used by insurance companies to help determine insurance rates for residential customers.

Contract renewal

The council also voted to approve a two-year extension to its service contract with Rural/Metro to provide fire suppression and emergency medical services here.

The existing five-year agreement with Rural/Metro is set to expire, and it provided an option for two two-year extensions. Staff recommended invoking one of those two-year extensions as an amendment to the original contract.

With the new agreement the response time language for Station No. 2 will remain as it is. The town is currently engaged in potential plans to relocate Station No. 2 from south of Shea to a site that will provide an overall improvement to emergency response times in the community.

Although two locations are being considered, the council will need to make a final decision on a location and then proceed with design and construction. The cost of this project is estimated at $2.1 million and is included in the town’s capital budget.

The agreement also amends the equipment list to include two new vehicles, a Spartan pumper fire truck and a brush attack truck.

The brush truck is in service, but the new pumper is not yet in service. It is expected to be on the road early in June.

All equipment is owned by the Town of Fountain Hills.

The Rural/Metro 3 percent annual fee adjustment will remain in effect during the extension.

The town will also receive a fee when firefighters are needed to ride along for additional patient care during emergency ambulance transports.

In a separate agreement from the fire service contract, town and Rural/Metro Ambulance officials are exploring a lease arrangement for housing ambulance personnel at Fountain Hills fire stations.

The council voted unanimously 6-0 to approve the contract extension.

In making the motion to approve, Councilwoman Ginny Dickey noted that the two-year extension will give Rural/Metro time to show it has improved its fiscal stability, and it also gives the town time to review its options.