Central County Fire & Rescue (CCFR), one of the largest emergency response agencies in the St. Louis metropolitan area, has increased its Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification to a 3/3X. Only 13 percent of the more than 42,000 fire agencies that ISO rates have a score of three or higher.
ISO evaluates the District on areas that are directly related to reducing property losses from fire, then provides a rating from one to ten, with one being the highest rating possible. Insurers use this information when they are calculating commercial and property insurance premiums. According to ISO, this data can also help communities and fire agencies analyze emergency communications, community risk reduction and water services.
“The information provided by ISO provides us with measurable data that we can track over time to help us plan for the future, and improve service levels to the community. It has also been shown that in general, insurance rates are lower in areas with a higher ISO ranking,” CCFR Assistant Chief Steve Brown says.
During the evaluation, which happens every five years, ISO evaluates emergency communications, the overall fire department, and water supply. It also includes a Community Risk Reduction section that recognizes community efforts to reduce losses through fire prevention, public fire safety education and fire investigation.
In previous years, CCFR has received a 4 rating. In Missouri, 127 of the 1,500 fire agencies rated have a 1-3 rating, seven have a 3 rating.