On Tuesday, the city of Cornelia became the first city to enter into a county-sponsored feasibility study, which aims to review municipal fire services and weigh the benefits of potential consolidation.
The cost of the study is not yet known, according to county officials, though it will come at no cost to participating cities. Participation in the study does not come with any obligations on Cornelia’s end.
“We are open to feedback, correction and opportunities for improvement,” Cornelia Mayor John Borrow said. “I think that’s how we’re going to view it. If that leads to further consolidation of services, we’ll talk about it. We’re going to be responsible and diligent for the citizens of Cornelia. If it makes sense, fantastic. And if it doesn’t make sense, we’ll at least have more information going forward.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the resolution signifying its participation during a regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 3.
The feasibility study will look at services, staffing and other elements of city fire departments in relation to ISO ratings. An ISO rating is a score that measures a fire department’s ability to protect people/property. Scores range from 1-10, with lower scores being considered a better rating.
ISO is a third party audit team for insurance companies, and ISO ratings are directly tied to insurance policies for cities and counties. Cornelia’s ISO rating is currently a 3. Standards to achieve better ISO ratings include various requirements – such as a minimum of four firefighters on staff and water pressure (PSI) standards.
Recent changes to ISO requirements have made achieving a higher score more of a challenge for certain cities.
Cornelia’s budget for fire services is $1.5 million, according to city officials.
“It’s just an evaluation of our fire department and what it would look like to consolidate…I don’t think there’s any harm in participating in the study. It may actually give us some insight on some things we can do better on our end,” Cornelia City Manager Dee Anderson said.
The city of Demorest is expected to take a vote on whether to enter into the study Tuesday night.
