Posts Tagged ISO Class 1 rating

Elk Grove Village Fire Department news

Oct 31

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 16 Comments

The Elk Grove Village Fire Department has received a Class 1 designation from the Insurance Services Office through its Public Protection Classification program, placing it among the top 1% of all fire departments in the country.

Of the more than 46,000 fire departments evaluated across the nation, only 498 — including 29 in Illinois — have achieved a Class 1 designation. The department also is one of 118 agencies worldwide with both an ISO Class 1 and Accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

The rating and fire department evaluation is based on factors such as the department’s training, apparatus and response capabilities, as well as water supply, dispatch operations and fire prevention programs.

The new rating is available to insurance companies, which may use ISO information to establish insurance premiums for residential, commercial and industrial property insurance rates.

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Elk Grove Village FD receives ISO Class 1 rating, Elk Grove Village Fire Department, ISO Class 1 rating

Kankakee Fire Department news

Aug 10

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 3 Comments

Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:

The Kankakee Fire Department has received the highest rating for a fire department, placing it among a group of just two dozen departments statewide. Other towns with the highest rating are typically much bigger cities or wealthy suburbs, including Chicago, Naperville, Plainfield, Springfield, Champaign, Skokie, Tinley Park, and Batavia.

The Insurance Services Office rates each department on a 1 to 10 scale, with 1 being best. The rating is based on factors such as water supply, emergency communications, creation of plans to fight fires in specific buildings, hose testing and response times, among other things. Historically, Kankakee has been rated at 3 or 4, but five years ago, the number improved to a 2, and now, it’s a 1.

By comparison, Bourbonnais and Manteno are 3s, and Bradley is a 4. It’s harder for smaller fire districts to get a 1 or a 2 because they take in rural areas where it’s harder to respond as quickly to fires. In Manteno, the fire rating improved to 3, from 5, a couple years ago in the rural areas outside village limits but within five miles of a fire station.

Tags: ISO Class 1 rating, Kankakee FD receives ISO Class 1, Kankakee Fire Department

Evanston Fire Department news

Aug 14

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 13 Comments

Excerpts from the cityofevanston.org:

The Evanston Fire Department has achieved the highest possible rating for fire protection services from an insurance industry advisory company.

Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) awarded the department a Class 1 designation through its Public Protection Classification (PPC) program, which assesses communities’ fire protection efforts. The department’s new rating, which is an improvement from its previous Class 2 designation, will take effect on October 1, 2018.

ISO has evaluated the fire protection services of more than 46,000 fire departments across the nation. Only 305 nationwide, including 16 in Illinois, have achieved a Class 1 designation, placing the Evanston Fire Department in the top 1 percent of all fire departments in the country.

ISO’s Public Protection Classification review is conducted by expert ISO staff on a five-year cycle, and includes site visits, records examination and observation. Four major areas are evaluated: fire department operations, water supply, emergency communications and community risk reduction. Using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, ISO analyzes the data and then assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire-suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

By classifying communities’ ability to suppress fires, ISO helps communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The PPC program provides an objective, nationwide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment and training. And by securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services. In general, the price of insurance in a community with a good PPC is lower than in a community with a poor PPC, assuming all other factors are equal.

Tags: Evanston FD receives ISO Class 1, Evanston Fire Department, ISO Class 1 rating

Plainfield FPD news

Jul 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the herald-news.com:

The Plainfield Fire Protection District recently received a plaque from State Fire Marshal Matt Perez for achieving an Insurance Services Office 1 rating – something only 0.5 percent of fire departments across the nation are able to accomplish. It is the best rating a department can receive. The district is the 17th department in the state to receive the rating.

The rating was determined through an evaluation process that focused on the district’s fire suppression capabilities, emergency communications capabilities, municipal water supply capabilities and the district’s efforts in community risk reduction.

Numerous insurance companies use the rating to determine property insurance rates for residential, commercial and industrial properties.

Tags: ISO Class 1 rating, Plainfield Fire Protection District, Plainfield FPD receives ISO Class 1

Springfield Fire Department news

Jan 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from sj-r.com:

The Springfield Fire Department has joined the top half percent of all fire departments in the nation by receiving a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Service Offices, Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs announced to the Springfield City Council Tuesday.

Only 241 out of 46,000 fire departments nationwide in 2017 had a Class 1 rating. ISO scores fire departments from 1 to 10, with a majority of fire departments being graded at Class 5.

The department first achieved a Class 1 rating in 1988 but was downgraded to Class 2 in 2003, when the department decided that it couldn’t afford the upgrades ISO required. The department’s rating dropped again in 2013 to Class 3.

The Springfield Fire Department hasn’t hired more firefighters or opened any more fire stations since being downgraded, but ISO has moved from evaluating equipment to a more performance-based assessment. It looks at a city’s fire suppression capabilities by grading the fire department, the emergency communications system, the city’s water supply, and efforts toward community risk reduction. Data collected from the previous year informs the current rating.

Last year Springfield’s ISO rating increased to Class 2. The fire department worked on its response times and training, while City Water, Light and Power worked on water distribution, and the 911 call center improved its handling of calls.

“(Response times and water distribution)’s always been a challenge for us because of the area we cover,” Helmerichs said. “We cover twice (the area) as Peoria, four times as Bloomington and Champaign.”

Outreach to the community through its Adopt-A-School program and public education messages helped bump up its rating.

The ISO rating becomes effective in April. With the new rating, some insurance companies offer a better rate on fire insurance policies for residences and businesses.

Tags: Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs, ISO Class 1 rating, Springfield FD receives ISO Class 1, Springfield Fire Department

Chicago Fire Department news

Feb 1

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 4 Comments

Tags: CFD Memo M-09-17, Chicago FD receives ISO Class 1, Chicago Fire Department, Insurance Service Organization, Insurance Services Organization, ISO Class 1 rating

Arlington Heights Fire Department news

Oct 7

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 10 Comments

Excerpts from the VAH.com:

Arlington Heights Fire Department Receives Top Rating of ISO Class 1

OCTOBER 5, 2016

The Arlington Heights Fire Department has received the Insurance Services Office (ISO) top rating of Class 1. ISO is the insurance industry’s leading source of information about property/casualty risk. In general, fire insurance premiums are lower for communities with top ISO ratings.

The ISO Class 1 rating has been achieved by less than 200 of 47,000 fire departments nationwide, 1/3 of 1%.

“ we are thrilled to receive this very prestigious rating,” said Fire Chief Ken Koeppen. “Our firefighters are dedicated, well-trained and committed to being the best.”

In addition to evaluating the fire department’s training, apparatus, and response capabilities, ISO also assesses water supply, dispatch operations, and fire prevention programs.

ISO’s assessment of Northwest Central Dispatch System’s capabilities also contributed to the Class 1 rating. NWCDS provides emergency dispatching services for the village from its communications center that is considered one of the best in the nation.

The ISO Class 1 rating is a confirmation of the Arlington Heights Fire Department’s dedication to its mission to protect lives and property, and to its motto, “Committed to Excellence.”

Tags: Arlington Heights FD receives ISO Class 1 rating, Arlington Heights Fire Chief Ken Koeppen, Arlington Heights Fire Department, Insurance Services Office, ISO Class 1 rating

Skokie Fire Department news

Sep 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Skokie Fire Department once again achieved a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office Inc. (ISO). The ISO rating is made up of three main components — fire department service at 50 percent, water delivery at 40 percent, and emergency communications at 10 percent.

According to Skokie Fire Chief Jim Walters, the first section includes looking at the department’s engine companies, pumping capabilities, aerial truck coverage, the amount of personnel during response missions, and much more. Skokie scored 49.19 out of 50 in that category.

For the water delivery system evaluation, ISO looks at the engineering of the system, the capabilities it can deliver, the needed water flow throughout the village, the hydrants, and more. Skokie scored 36 out of 40 in that category.

Under emergency communications, ISO evaluates how the fire department receives calls and how they are dispatched. Skokie’s department achieved nine of 10 in this area.

57 fire departments in the country hold the ISO Class 1 rating and Skokie is one of only 26 departments in the country to also hold accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

The ISO evaluation is conducted on a five-year cycle and includes site visits, records examination, and observation. Most insurers use ISO and their public classification for underwriting and calculating premiums for residential, commercia,l and industrial property insurance rates.

ISO ratings range from 1, which is the best, through 10, which is the lowest. A fire department must meet 90 percent of the ISO standards to achieve the Class 1 rating, which the Skokie Fire Department did in each of the three main categories.

thanks Dan

Tags: ISO Class 1 rating, Skokie FD receives ISO Class 1, Skokie Fire Chief Jim Walters, Skokie Fire Department