St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 Achieves a Class 2 Fire Rating
In addition to being the only Internationally Accredited fire department in the State of Louisiana, and one of 239 worldwide, St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 has now achieved a Class 2 fire rating from the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL). An on-site assessment was recently conducted to determine what fire protection class would be assigned to the department. This rating directly affects insurance premiums for homeowners and business owners throughout the fire district. Before this new assessment, the district had a Class 3 rating.
The PIAL fire protection classes are assigned on a number scale from 1 to 10, with Class 1 being the highest rated. This rating is based upon 3 main categories: fire department operations (50%), water supply (40%), and communications (10%). Fire Departments are assigned their fire Class rating based on their overall performance in each category.
The new Class 2 rating may result in decreased fire insurance premiums for homeowners and business owners within 7 road miles of a recognized St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 fire station. This does not include a few individually rated commercial properties with a special classification. St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 encourages both homeowners and business owners to contact their insurance companies and advise them of the new Class 2 fire rating.
Since the 2012 rating, Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann set a goal for the district to become a Class 2 fire department. The department has worked tirelessly to make that a reality today. Chief Kaufmann stated, “I couldn’t be more proud of the men and women of our department who have achieved this accomplishment, all while working hard to provide the highest level of efficiency and quality service for our citizens”.