Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Protection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cairo council approves automatic-aid fire agreement to restore ISO Class 2 status
Summary
Council approved an intergovernmental automatic-aid agreement with Greene County to increase on-scene personnel and equipment, a change leaders said is necessary to regain an ISO Class 2 rating; council removed a 5-mile radius clause and set a phased implementation date.
Cairo's City Council voted to authorize the mayor to sign an intergovernmental automatic-aid agreement with Greene County intended to strengthen fire protection and restore the city's ISO classification.
City Manager Gaynor and Fire Chief Posita Carroll told the council that the agreement creates automatic dispatch arrangements so county resources respond alongside city units; Chief Carroll said the partnership would boost personnel and equipment on scene and "kicks us back up to an 80.5, which puts us back into a 2." The chief described ISO as a composite score that weighs the fire department (50 percent), the water department (40 percent) and 911 centers (10 percent), and said personnel shortfalls were costing the city points.
Chief Carroll explained the operational mechanics: the draft would be revised to remove a previously stated 5-mile dispatch radius and to specify a minimum county response that ISO used in its calculation. "The agreement specifies a minimum of 1 engine and 2 personnel," he said, and added that larger volunteer responses would raise the score further. City staff said the arrangement helps the city meet the 3,500-gallons-per-minute fire-flow threshold and provides credit for aerial apparatus when available.
Councilwoman Higdon moved to approve the resolution with the change removing the 5-mile radius; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Council members discussed implementation timing; Chief Carroll recommended making the agreement effective Jan. 1, 2026 to allow cross-training and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) updates before full implementation.
The council's action authorizes the mayor to execute the agreement as amended and directs staff to finalize SOPs and training plans with Greene County. No new local staffing or payroll increases were included in the measure; officials said the arrangement allows the city to increase on-scene personnel without hiring additional full-time staff.
Next steps noted at the meeting: staff will draft SOP amendments and return to council with any further operational or legal changes required for implementation.
