DRWMAG.COM 22 #353 • SEPTEMBER 2018 • 29 YEARS STRONG by DAVIE MAYOR JUDY PAUL School is in full swing. Please drive carefully and follow all the rules. Be patient and give yourself extra time so you don’t get frustrat- ed by the bottlenecks in front of the schools. We need to think of our students' safety and wellbeing at all times. The community gardens at Rob- bins Park are a great way to bring home fresh produce for your dinner table. Stop by and see the successful mini-farming opera- tion, and try your hand by applying for a plot of land through our Parks and Recreation De- partment. Our hearts and thoughts go out to ourfriendsandfamiliesinCaliforniawhohave endured the worst fires in the state’s history. The loss of property and lives, the sacrifices of our brave firefighters and police, and the damage to the forests and wildlife may not re- cover for many years. Special thoughts to our Davie and Broward County residents from Kerala, India who have family who are suffer- ing from terrible rains and flooding. During the week of India’s Independence Day it is sad that so many have had to flee their homes for higher ground with the added threat of dams that are dangerously close to giving way.The main airport is closed and homes, hospitals, schools and businesses are all under water. God speed to all in harm’s way. Sign up for the Practical Horseman training being held on Sept. 22nd and 23rd at the rodeo arena. It is a great opportunity to get your horse ready for trail riding sea- son and all of the challenges you might find in your travels, as well as reinforcing past les- sons learned. Weekly Brothers Pro Rodeo is Sat Sept 8th. CowboyTown welcomes you to join us. Tickets are on sale at GrifsWesternWear on Orange Drive. The first budget hearing will be held onThursday, September 6th at 5 p.m.We are looking at a balanced budget with a slight increase in the millage rate to cover the full complement of School Resource Officers which we had assured everyone we would put into place after the Stoneman Doug- las tragedy. We are also covering all of the county schools located in Davie, notably the four Nova schools and McFatter Technical. We have asked the school board for increased relief with these five schools beyond the stan- dard school board contribution, since Davie students don’t get any preference and must go to the lottery for admission. Residents are the extra eyes and ears of the town. If you see something, say something. Let us know of any health or safe- ty issues as well as suspicious or illegal activity in your neighborhood. As of September 1st, 2018, the Town of Davie Fire Rescue Department will be classified as a Class 1 Public Protection Clas- sification (PPC) Rating agency. The Class 1 rating is the highest possible score that can be given to any fire department nationwide. Throughout the United States, there are only 329 departments that are a class 1 and only 32 in Florida.There are over 47,000 fire depart- ments in the country. “This rating reflects the hard work and dedication of all Davie Fire Rescue personnel and our commitment to save lives and prop- erty,” said Fire Rescue Chief Julie Downey. How the department was rated: • Fire Department – 50% is derived from fire operational capacity, including the number and locations of fire stations and how the department maintains and tests its engine and ladder companies. • Water supply – 40% is based on avail- ability of enough water to fight a fire, focusing on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppres- sion beyond daily maximum consump- tion, as well as the number and location of fire hydrants and how often hydrants are inspected and tested. • Emergency communications systems – 10% of the score is from the level of communication with the public, such as how well the fire department receives and dispatches fire alarms, including the level of technology and number of per- sonnel in the emergency call center. • Community risk reduction – the calcula- tion takes into consideration community risk reduction efforts such as fire preven- tion, public fire safety education and fire investigation. Most U.S. insurers of home and business properties use the ISO’s PPC in calculating premiums. In general, the price of insurance in a community with a good PPC is lower than in a community with a poor PPC,assum- ing all other factors are equal.A community’s PPC depends on: • Emergency communications systems, including facilities for the public to re- port fires, staffing, training, certification of tele-communicators, and facilities for dispatching fire departments. • The fire department, including equip- ment, staffing, training, and geographic deployment of fire companies. • The water supply system, including the inspection and flow testing of hydrants and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires. • Community efforts to reduce the risk of fire, including fire prevention codes and enforcement, public fire safety educa- tion, and fire investigation programs. Fire Rescue achieves a Class 1 rating, safety and budget matters, and more MAYOR JUDY PAUL