ISO RATING Fire Equipment Fire equipment accounts for 26% of the rating. Again, there are both some specific and minimum equipment requirements, additional equipment standards based on the numbers and types of structures in the community. Regular testing of the equipment is also a factor. (Incidentally, the ISO rating system does not have a maximum age for fire trucks, but instead focuses on the equipments capabilities. If the 1988 pumper is tested regularly and meets performance requirements, its as good as a brand new ,ruck as far as ISO is concerned.) • Water Supply • Equipment Personnel • Training • Dispatch The ISO Rating System Many insurance companies use ISOs PPC evaluations as a factor in setting the premiums they charge for property insurance; the better the communitys PPC grade, the lower the premiums the insurance company would charge for property insurance in that community. IS;Os data on fire losses indicates that communities with better fire protection as evaluated by the PPC do in fact tend to have lower losses from fire damage than other communities. This brief description gives an overview of the factors that affect a communitys PPC rating, how these ratings affect insurance premiums, how the city can have its rating reviewed, and where the city can get more information on the ISO PPC process. Factors for PPC Ratings ISOs PPC system has been in use since the early 1900s, and has been continuously modified and refined over that time. The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) looks at a great deal of specific information about the fire department, the water supply, and the types of property in the community, and uses a fairly complex process to evaluate that information. In general though, here are the factors the PPC system reviews. Water Supply The accessibility of Lockports water supply is the most important single factor, and accounts for 40% of the total rating. The FSRS compares the water supply available at representative areas of the community with the amount needed to fight a fire in the types of buildings there are at that location. In addition, there are some specific minimum requirements for specific classes; to be Class 8 or lower, for example, the city must have the water supply and equipment to deliver at least 250 gallons per minute for at least two hours. Personnel Personnel accounts for 24% of the rating. 15% of that is based on the numbers of firefighters available for the initial response and how quickly the firefighters can respond. The other 9% reflects the initial and ongoing training the firefighters receive. Dispatch / Deployment System The dispatch system accounts for the remaining 10% of the rating. When ISO rates a communitys fire protection, they will prepare a Classification Detail Report which shows in detail how much credit the city received in the rating process for each item reviewed, compared to the maximum credit possible for that item. ISO will also prepare an Improvement Statement which identifies what changes a city would need to make in order to move up to a particular grade. To get a copy of these reports, the fire chief needs to request them from ISO in writing on official letterhead. Re-rating the Citys Fire Protection ISO will periodically send the city a Community Outreach Questionnaire, asking for information about the citys fire protection system. If the city completes and returns the questionnaire, ISO will check for significant changes in the citys fire protection system that might merit a review of the citys current classification. Changes in the area served, improvements in the citys water system, additional fire stations constructed, new equipment added, improvements in the citys deployment and dispatch system, etc., are some of the items most likely to trigger a review. If the city has made improvements in any of these areas, it may be worthwhile to contact ISO to request a survey. The city can also download a copy of the community Outreach Questionnaire from ISOs web site.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 13:56:00 +0000