Excerpts from blueisland.org:

The Blue Island Fire Department announced their public protection classification, established by the Insurance Services Office, improved from 4 to 3. This is great news for the community!

The ISO rating is a report card for fire services that determines how well a local fire department can protect its community and homes. It correlates risk for insurance companies providing coverage to homes and businesses within a zip code and affects property insurance rates.

Several key areas are evaluated for an ISO rating:
• Quality of fire department – Staffing, training and proximity of firehouse
• Water supply – Availability and prevalence of fire hydrants
• Quality of an area’s dispatch center
• Community outreach – fire prevention and safety courses

The ISO rating is measured on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the best rating. Blue Island Fire Department is one of 3,500 departments in the nation with a 3 rating. Blue Island Fire Chief Dan Reda explained the decreased rating was a result of improved dispatch operations and increased focus on training and operational efficiency. A lower ISO rating also helps department’s secure federal and state fire funding.

thanks Dennis

Tags: Blue Island FD improves ISO rating, Blue Island Fire Department