Richmond Fire Department Receives ISO Class 1 Rating

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) has reclassified the City of Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services as an ISO Class 1, their highest awarded classification.
Of the nearly 45,000 Public Fire Protection Districts in the United States, only 270 are ISO Class 1 and only 7 are located in Virginia. This puts the Richmond Fire Department in the top 1% for fire protection in the nation. 

ISO collects and evaluates information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 does not meet the minimum requirements of protection. 

ISO evaluates a community’s (1) Fire Protection, (2) Emergency Communications Center, (3) Municipal Water Supply System, and (4) Community Risk Reduction Efforts. 

Benefits to the Community:

A community’s investment in fire protection is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Insurance companies use ISO Classification information to help establish premiums for fire insurance – generally offering lower premiums in communities with better protection. By offering economic benefits for communities that invest in their firefighting services, the program provides an additional incentive for improving and maintaining public fire protection.