Greenwood Fire Chief Marcus Banks said Tuesday the city is nearing a Class 3 fire rating for the first time.
Banks spoke at a regular meeting of the City Council.
Fire ratings, assigned by the Mississippi State Rating Bureau, range from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best. Banks said the unofficial fire rating for the city stands only 0.54 point away from Class 3. The city now has a Class 4 rating.
“We’ve never been this close to a Class 3,” Banks said.
Currently, only Southaven, Jackson, Gulfport and Biloxi are rated Class 3 in Mississippi. The state has no Class 1 or Class 2 municipalities, he said.
The city’s fire rating has a direct bearing on fire insurance for businesses and homeowners, Banks said.
Although he did not know what the difference between a Class 3 and a Class 4 rating would translate into, the chief said that “a savings is a savings” and “the citizens are the ones who benefit the most.”
Banks thanked the council for helping to narrow the gap by providing an additional ladder unit and upgrading the department’s communications system.
He also thanked Greenwood Utilities, which supplies water service to the city. According to Banks, the city received a score of 36 out of 40 on water distribution from the state Fire Rating Bureau.
Also Tuesday, the council:
• Approved the installation of speed bumps in the 400 and 500 portion of Broad Street in Ward 6 and the 500 and 600 block of Avenue I in Ward 5.
• Recognized the Amanda Elzy High School Lady Panthers basketball team for their accomplishments. The team made it to the state championship game and posted a record of 29-2, including 10-0 in its division.
Coach Charles Brown thanked the council and Mayor Carolyn McAdams for the invitation.
“It is indeed a privilege and honor to be here before you,” he said. “It’s more of an honor to share this with this group of young ladies that worked so hard to post the first-ever perfect season in Amanda Elzy’s history.”
• Heard from Police Officer Greg Fernandez, who was injured in a car crash in early January. Fernandez is making excellent progress on his recovery, Police Chief Ray Moore said.
“I’m hoping by May 15 I’ll go to another doctor’s appointment and hopefully be able to return to work after that,” Fernandez told the council members, who applauded.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
