The JournalOnline has an article about the Prospect Heights Fire District receiving an ISO Class 3 rating.
For the first time in more than 15 years, the Prospect Hts. Fire Protection Dist. was re-evaluated by the Insurance Service Organization (ISO), and its ratings improved to a Class 3, making it among only 7% of Illinois communities and 4% nationally to achieve that rating.
“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the ISO evaluation and results,” Fire Chief Donald Gould said. “This will allow residents and local businesses in our community to enjoy a relatively low fire insurance rating and a reduced cost for insuring their property.”
The ISO collects information on community fire departments throughout the country and analyzes relevant data using a fire suppression rating scale. Its data helps to establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties for insurance companies, who rely on its up-to-date information about a community’s fire-protection services.
Fire departments are assigned a Public Protection Classification, on a sale from 1-10. The highest possible classification is a 1, and a 10 indicates the fire suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
The ISO grading scale reviews three distinct areas of a fire protection service provider: receiving and handling fire alarms (10%), the fire department (50%) and water supply (40%).
The last time the fire district was rated by ISO was in 1996 and it received a Class 4 rating, but since that time, the fire district has made several positive changes, according Gould, in receiving and handling alarms, and to the fire district itself. He adds the district was within four points of receiving a Class 2 rating.
“The largest hurdle to overcome in the grading process remains in the area of water supply, which accounts for 40% of the overall rating,” Gould said.
In Prospect Hts., approximately 45% of the community relies on private wells to provide drinking water, with no available water for fire suppression. In these areas, the fire district must rely on its tanker truck, long hose lays to remote fire hydrants, and tanker trucks from other communities.
The entire article can be found HERE.
