Clermont moves to expand fire and ambulance capacity after ISO Class 1 rating; council accepts federal grants and votes to apply for ambulance certificate

The City of Clermont City Council on Oct. 14 accepted two federal grants and authorized staff to apply for a county certificate of public convenience and necessity that would be required before the city could seek an advanced life support license for ambulance transport.

The moves followed a presentation from the fire department that the department was re‑awarded an ISO Class 1 rating effective in December — a national insurance and preparedness rating that the department said places Clermont among a small group of highly rated departments. Fire Department leadership also told council the city won two federal grants: a FEMA SAFER award to fund firefighters and an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) for on‑truck source‑capture devices.

Why it matters: The SAFER grant will fund additional personnel to staff ambulance and fire units as Clermont’s population and service area grow; the AFG award is intended to reduce firefighter cancer risks by attaching capture units to apparatus. The council’s vote to apply for the county certificate is the first formal step toward establishing city‑run ambulance transport — a move officials said will take years and requires county review and, likely, more local planning.

Fire department presentation and ISO rating Fire department leadership said the department’s ISO re‑rating to Class 1 will be effective in December. The chief summarized the agency’s performance on the ISO portal and credited several city and county partners for improvements in water points, emergency communications and community risk reduction. The chief told the council, “we were re awarded an I. S. O. Class 1 rating, which will become effective in December.”

SAFER grant: hires and local cost details Council accepted a FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that staff said will fund new firefighter positions to place a four‑person unit at Wellness Way. The grant pays 75% of salaries in years one and two and 35% in year three, staff said. The department requested 15 firefighters to staff the planned unit; recruitment was already underway at the time of the meeting. Staff described one‑time equipment and uniform costs of roughly $400,000 and noted an earlier vehicle purchase decision left about $138,000 in capital that could reduce the near‑term budget request. Council accepted the grant and advanced the hiring process.

AFG grant for capture devices The council also approved acceptance of an Assistance to Firefighters Grant to buy direct source capture units for apparatus to reduce firefighter exposure to carcinogens. Assistant Chief Rick Castle told the council the devices cost about $11,000 per truck and the grant would cover roughly 90% of the equipment cost. Council voted to accept the AFG award.

Certificate of public convenience and necessity (COPCN) application Council voted 4–0 to authorize the city to apply for a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Lake County Board of County Commissioners. City legal and fire staff warned the COPCN process can be lengthy and quasi‑judicial; staff also said the county controls the certificate and could deny an application. Fire leadership and several council members said modeling shows the countywide system needs multiple additional ambulances to meet industry response standards and that a city COPCN application is a step to press for faster local improvements.

Council and staff cautioned that applying for a COPCN is only the first step: approving the certificate, adding ambulances, and seeking a state license would take years and additional funding decisions. Officials described the city’s intent to coordinate with neighboring counties and county staff where possible, but several council members said they do not expect immediate county cooperation.

What’s next Staff will prepare and file the COPCN application, continue SAFER recruitment, and proceed with AFG procurement steps. Council members asked for regular updates as the hiring, equipment purchases and COPCN process move forward.