OCONEE COUNTY — A new study of Oconee County’s firefighting readiness will help guide the improvement of the county’s fire protection plan to deal with new realities, according to county officials.

“It’ll deal with such things as water supply and the fire departments and their equipment and training,” said Rodney Burdette, Oconee County’s emergency services director.

But the study also will look at growth patterns in the county, or where residential and commercial growth has occurred in recent years.

That, Burdette said, will guide the county in improving its fire protection plan by showing where resources need to be directed.

Burdette discussed the upcoming study Thursday with members of the County Emergency Protection Commission.

In September, Oconee County Council approved the $28,500 for the study and awarded the contract to Mizelle, Hodges & Associates Inc. of Atlanta.

Burdette said the county hopes to have a rough draft of the study results by Dec 1.

The study, which will assess the county’s Insurance Service Office ratings, will examine all aspects of the firefighting readiness, including the heights of new buildings and the availability of water.

The ISO rating evaluates firefighting potential on a scale of 1 to 10, the lower the rating the greater the readiness.

Lower ISO ratings generally result in the communities having lower premiums for fire insurance.

One example of what the study could show, Burdette said, is that areas of Oconee County that have seen large amounts of growth might need to increase their fire flow, the water available to fight a fire.

Jess Neville, representing District 2 on the Emergency Protection Commission, said the study would help ensure that the taxpayers’ money spent for firefighting would receive the best return and determine where the money would be best spent.

“Some fire stations have done a good job and help keep good (ISO) ratings,” Neville said. “Some will need to improve.”

Burdette said bids have been received on two new medium-sized fire trucks, and those bids are to be opened in the coming week.

The trucks are being purchased for the Mountain Rest and Fair Play fire departments.

Oconee County has 17 fire departments, and all rely on volunteers. Seneca, Walhalla and Westminster have city-funded departments with paid firefighters supported by volunteers, and the Keowee Fire Department is supported in part by a special fire protection tax district that pays for firefighters in addition to volunteers. The remaining 13 fire departments all are volunteer operations.