Charleston (SC) Fire Department receives Class 1 ISO certification
When Russell B. Thomas, Jr., became chief of the Charleston (SC) Fire Department in 1992, the department had a Class 3 ISO rating, which it had held since 1939. Thomas committed to improving the department`s rating to Class 1 during his tenure. By December 1995, the department moved up to a Class 2 rating. On June 1, 1998, the Charleston Fire Department became the 26th ISO certified Class 1 fire department in the nation–the first in the state of South Carolina.
This achievement entailed more than the efforts of Thomas, inasmuch as the fire department was only one of three criteria (50 percent) that had to be met to achieve a Class 1 rating. Water supply accounted for 40 percent and communications the other 10 percent. The city provided funding for the necessary equipment and apparatus. A large portion of the apparatus fleet has been replaced since 1992. The Commissioners of Public Works reworked all deficient areas in the water system to meet the ISO requirement.
In acknowledging the accomplishment, Thomas noted that “much credit for achieving this goal should be given to the hard work by the men and women of the department.”
The second largest paid department in the state, the Charleston Fire Department has 212 employees assigned to 14 engines, two ladders, one rescue, one haz mat, and one special equipment truck. Dispatching is done by the fire department in a citywide communications center.
