Although the city’s Class 2 Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating for newly-annexed residents of Area B will not become effective until October 1, their insurance companies can use boundary changes immediately for underwriting purposes, Hot Springs Fire Chief Ed Davis said today.
ISO collects information on municipal fire protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum criteria. The Hot Springs Fire Department merits an ISO rating of Class 2, ranking it among the top 3 percent of fire departments across the nation.
By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire protection services. The program provides an objective, countrywide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. And by securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services.
For additional information on ISO’s PPC program, visit https://www.isomitigation.com/about-us/contact-iso-mitigation or call 1-800-444-4554. For information on the city’s ISO rating, call Hot Springs Fire at (501) 321-6971.