Split Classifications

When ISO develops a single Public Protection Classification (PPC) for a community, all of the community's properties receive that classification. In many communities, ISO develops a split classification (for example, 5/9). Generally, the first class (Class 5 in the example) applies to properties within five road miles of a fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant. The second class (Class 9 in the example) applies to properties within five road miles of a fire station but beyond 1,000 feet of a hydrant. ISO generally assigns Class 10 to properties beyond five road miles.

What do the initials ISO stand for?

ISO began life in 1971 as Insurance Services Office. While we still serve the property/casualty insurance marketplace, our business has expanded greatly. Therefore, in recent years, we have not used the old name in most of our communications with customers and others.

The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is the manual ISO uses in reviewing the fire-fighting capabilities of individual communities. The schedule measures the major elements of a community's fire-suppression system and develops a numerical grading called a Public Protection Classification (PPCTM).

Click Here for more information on the ISO website.

From The Fire Chief:

The East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District would like to announce that our Public Protection Classification, as evaluated by a private insurance industry advising company, has improved from a class 7 to a class 4 – indicating that our Fire District has greatly improved our ability to provide valuable service to the community.

The classification, awarded by the Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), evaluates the district’s capability to protect its community from harmful fires, taking into account various factors such as fire-fighting equipment, staffing and training procedures, the location of fire stations and hydrants in relation to individual properties, the community’s water supply, and the effectiveness of the communication system in use. A score of 1 to 10 is thus awarded to a fire department or district, 1 representing the highest protection and 10 representing the lowest.

ISO ratings are used by many property insurance companies to determine the fire premiums that are a part of homeowners’ and commercial property insurance rates. Local residents may be entitled to lower insurance rates because of this reduction, and are urged to contact their insurance providers to inform them of the change. The effective date of the new classification was October 1, 2008.

I attribute the upgrade in classification to improvements made in our staffing and training, the acquisition of new equipment, improvements to the village water supply, and the opening of a second fire station in the eastern part of the district. I would like to thank the taxpayers of the district for their support and for giving us the necessary resources to improve our ability to provide the community with the protection it needs.