By Robert Rhoden, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on May 14, 2013 at 2:20 PM, updated May 14, 2013 at 2:38 PM

St. Tammany Parish‘s 12th Fire Protection District recently received an award and an $81,000 insurance refund for its exemplary safety record. The department, which covers a 63-square mile area surrounding the city of Covington, received a “Safest 70″ award from Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Corporation, an honor bestowed on only 70 of the company’s nearly 17,000 clients, according to a news release from the fire district.

The award included a refund of about $81,000 in what the department paid for workers’ compensation insurance last year, it said.

The award acknowledges insured clients with excellent risk management and loss control. LWCC cited the fire district’s training program for operators and drivers, its GPS tracking system for emergency vehicles, and its Drive Cam program, which monitors the performance of drivers using fire department equipment and videotapes traffic incidents, according to the release.

It is the second time in three years that the fire department has received the award. Each year, LWCC issues premium refunds based on agency performance and claims history. The $81,745 the 12th Fire District received for its performance in 2012 was the highest ever, but since 2003 the department has received dividends totaling more than $258,000, the release said.

“In our line of work, safety is of the utmost importance,” Chief Darrell Guilott said in the statement. “Protecting the public and our employees is vital, and we take every possible step to do both. Being recognized by LWCC with this award and a large dividend is a testament to our success and to our commitment to taxpayers, too.”

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Being safe is a daily duty and goal for firefighters, but it also comes with rewards for taxpayers and the public safety agencies that serve them.

St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District No. 12 recently received a “Safest 70″ award from Louisiana Worker’s Compensation Corporation, an honor bestowed on only 70 of the company’s nearly 17,000 clients. The award is more than a crystal plaque with nice engraving: It included a refund of approximately $80,000 in what FD12 paid for workers compensation insurance last year.

The Safest 70 award acknowledges insured clients with excellent risk management and loss control. LWCC cited FD12′s training program for operators and drivers, its GPS tracking system for emergency vehicles, and its Drive Cam program, which monitors the performance of drivers using FD12 equipment and videotapes traffic incidents.

It is the second time in three years that FD12 has received the award. Each year, LWCC issues premium refunds based on agency performance and claims history. The $81,745 FD12 received for its performance in 2012 was the highest ever, but since 2003 FD12 has received dividends from LWCC totaling more than $258,000.

“In our line of work, safety is of the utmost importance,” said FD12 Chief Darrell Guilott. “Protecting the public and our employees is vital, and we take every possible step to do both. Being recognized by LWCC with this award and a large dividend is a testament to our success and to our commitment to taxpayers, too. Our motto is, ‘We’re Here for Life,’ but we’re also here to be fiscally responsible. I’m proud that once again we’ve used safety as a tool to be good stewards of the public money, too.”

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A mobile home at 70166 Eighth St. near Covington was destroyed by fire last night, and firefighters from St. Tammany Fire Protection District 12 contained the blaze rapidly.

At 7:44 p.m., a neighbor called 911 Unifire to report the unoccupied structure was on fire. Firefighters were on the scene in 7 minutes and found the structure was more than 50 percent engulfed in flames. Establishing a defensive attack to contain the blaze, FD12 personnel had the fire under control within 15 minutes.

Three engines and a rescue unit, with a total of 10 firefighters, responded. There were no injuries. The cause remains under investigation.

“Abandoned structures are particularly vulnerable to fire,” said FD12 Chief Darrell Guilott. “Lack of maintenance, excessive clutter and long-term weather damage are all factors, and abandoned properties are also magnets for vandals and troublemakers looking for mischief. Arson is also a concern, and we’ve had two arson fires – one at an abandoned structure – in FD12′s jurisdiction in the last eight months. We are looking into neighbors’ reports that a group of teenagers were seen running from the structure as the flames were spotted, and ask anyone with information to contact us at 985.892.5161.”