LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating the Howlett Hill Fire Department
upon the occasion of being awarded the Insurance Service Office (ISO)
Class 2 Rating

WHEREAS, It is the sense of the State of New York to pay tribute to
those organizations within our communities, and those who run them, that
add to the quality of life for all residents, and to recognize the
contributions such organizations make to our society; and
WHEREAS, Primary among those organizations are fire departments that,
year after year, are responsive to the specific needs of the local citi-
zenry by providing essential services, such as fire protection and emer-
gency medical services, and whose volunteers risk their lives to protect
the community in which they live; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate the
Howlett Hill Fire Department upon the occasion of being awarded the
Insurance Service Office (ISO) Class 2 Rating; and
WHEREAS, The courageous and dedicated firefighters of the Howlett Hill
Fire Department have valiantly devoted their efforts to respond to vari-
ous fire emergencies, all the while earning the praise and respect of
national and statewide organizations; and
WHEREAS, The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is an organization that
provides statistical information on risk, based on a scale of Class 1
through Class 10, Class 1 being the highest, and which insurance compa-
nies rely heavily on for calculating rate structures for departments;
and
WHEREAS, The Insurance Services Office reaches its award classifica-
tion based on a detailed review of multiple facets including firematic,
administrative operations, training programs, handling of fire alarms,
water supply throughout the district and testing of those supplies, and
appropriate use of rescue versus fire apparatus; and
WHEREAS, In New York State, there are only 36 other departments that
have received the rating of Class 2 or 1, with only two of those depart-
ments receiving a Class 1 status; and
WHEREAS, The Howlett Hill Fire Department is now ranked in the top
1.5% of all fire departments nationwide; and
WHEREAS, Over its 65 year history, the Howlett Hill Fire Department
has continually striven to meet the guidelines of the Insurance Services
Office and provide a safety-oriented, properly balanced service to the
community; and
WHEREAS, Under the luminous direction of Fire Chief Fred Isgar, the
Howlett Hill Fire Department has accomplished this through maximizing
the funds it receives from residents within the fire district, through
fire tax rates and fundraising initiatives, and focusing purchasing
decisions on cost/benefit to the community and safety of its members;
and
WHEREAS, The Howlett Hill Fire Department also works to share
services, becoming one of the first departments to migrate its fire
alarm system data and its training data into Onondaga County's Computer
Aided Dispatch System; and
WHEREAS, Earning the rating of Class 2 by the Insurance Services
Office validates the direction taken by the Howlett Hill Fire Department
over the past 65 years, and the sound decisions made by its core volun-
teers; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body cannot express sufficient gratitude to
all of those trained and devoted individuals, who serve and protect
their communities through fire departments across New York State, and

enough cannot be said about the important role that a volunteer fire
department plays in its community; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the Howlett Hill Fire Department on the occasion of being
awarded the Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 2 Rating; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Fire Chief Fred Isgar, and to all members of the Howlett Hill
Fire Department.