What Is ISO Protection Class?

A community's fire equipment is a criteria used to determine ISO ratings.

New York-based ISO, an advisory organization to the insurance industry, gathers information about a community's fire protection capability for a public protection classification rating, used to establish insurance premiums for homeowners and businesses.

Benefits of ratings

The ISO program provides a nationwide standard that helps fire departments plan and budget to improve a community's fire protection, including training, facilities and equipment. The program offers incentives for communities with better fire protection services since it establishes a rating that translates into lower insurance premiums for communities with better fire service.

Criteria for ratings

ISO states a community's fire department, including the number and location of facilities, staffing, equipment and training; its water supply system, the condition and location of fire hydrants and a review of available water to suppress fires; fire alarms, dispatching systems, staffing telephone lines and systems are criteria used to determine ratings.

Lower ratings boost ecomic development

If homeowners have lower insurance premiums, they can spend that money in the local community, boosting economic development. A community can use a lower ISO rating as one more tool to recruit more businesses and industries to create jobs.

References

• TDI: Public Protection Classification (PPC) Oversight
• ISO: ISO's PPC Program - Helping to Build Effective FIre Protection Services
• ISO: When a Fire District Improves its PPC, the Entire Community Can Benefit Econonomically

Resources

• Senacafd: ISO Insurance Rating