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ISO

SACFD Earns New ISO Classification

The new ranking puts the department in the top 2% nationwide.

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South Adams County Fire Department is proud and excited to announce we have received notification from the Insurance Service Office (ISO) that based on our recent evaluation, we are now a Class 2/2x Fire Department.  This rating is a significant improvement from our previous rating (of nearly a Class 6/9).   South Adams County is now one of the 1,243 fire departments (out of nearly 49,000) in the United States with a Class 2 rating.

ISO analyzes relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS).  From this data, ISO assigns a fire department a Public Protection Classification from Class 1 to Class 10.  Class 1 is the highest rating, and Class 10 indicates a department does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

  • The ISO rating is based on three components:
    The community’s emergency communications capabilities include 911 telephone systems, adequacy of telephone lines, operator supervision and staffing, and dispatching systems.
  • The quality of the fire department, including the adequacy of equipment, the sufficiency of staffing, the level of training, and the geographic distribution of fire companies.
  • The water system/supply in that particular region.

The new rating may lower insurance premiums for some residents.  It is important to check with your insurance company to see if the new rating will translate to lower premiums. (Note: Due to differences in how each company calculates premiums, it is impossible to generalize how an improved ISO rating will affect each individual homeowner/business owner.)

Additional benefits to the Fire Department include using the grading criteria to help in planning for training, equipment, and the need for future stations and personnel to ensure we maintain our current high level of service

1) How does the change in ISO rating affect the department? 

The rating does not necessarily affect the department itself, but rather is a rating of our department’s effectiveness based on criteria evaluated by the Insurance Service Organization.  ISO analyzes relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS).  From this data, ISO assigns a fire department a Public Protection Classification from a Class 1 to a Class 10.  Class 1 is the highest rating, and Class 10 indicates a department does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

2) What is the biggest impact the new ISO rating has on the community we serve? 

The new rating may lower insurance premiums for some residents.  It is important to check with your insurance company to see if the new rating will translate to lower premiums. (Note: Due to differences in how each company calculates premiums, it is impossible to generalize how an improved ISO rating will affect each homeowner / business owner.)

Additional benefits to the Fire Department include using the grading criteria to help in planning for training, equipment and the need for future stations and personnel to ensure we maintain our current high level of service.

3) What was the process for the department? What specific steps did the department take to improve its rating? 

ISO bases a fire department’s rating on many factors including its communications center, the number of personnel on duty, training level of personnel (paid or volunteer), the amount of water the fire department can get to a fire, and the amount and quality of equipment used (such as fire engines and hand tools).

South Adams County Fire Department embarked on a two-year project to translate increased tax dollars from the voter approved mil levy election in 2012 into increased service levels and fire protection for our District.  We improved our training, record keeping, vehicle and equipment testing, and staffing.  All of these (and many more!) increased the fire protection to our citizens and earned us a Class 2 rating!

4) Going forward, what does the department need to do to maintain its rating and improve from a 2 to a 1? 

Based on a thorough cost / benefit analysis, South Adams County Fire has no plans to improve to a Class 1.  Based on 2012 data, there are only 60 fire departments in the U.S. (out of nearly 49,000 fire departments) that have a Class 1 rating.  We will however, use every opportunity to strive to continually improve the service we provide in a safe and cost effective manner.

5) Where does this put SACFD in comparison to other comparable departments in the state/nation? 

Based on information from the ISO website, of the more than 660 fire departments in Colorado, there are no Class 1 departments.  They list 54 Class 2 fire departments.  This puts South Adams County Fire Department in the top 8% for the state.  Of the more than 49,000 departments in the country, ISO lists only 1,243 Class 2 agencies (which puts South Adams Fire in the top 2%).