The ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC®) program provides important, information about municipal fire protection services in each community surveyed. ISO staff collects information about the quality of public fire protection in more than 39,000 fire protection areas across the United States.

In each of those protection areas, they analyze the relevant data and assign a Public Protection Classification — a grading from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet ISO minimum criteria.

Most U.S. insurers of home and business properties use PPC in calculating premiums. In general, the price of insurance in a community with a good PPC is lower than in a community with a poor PPC, assuming all other factors are equal.

A community’s PPC depends on:

• emergency communications systems, including facilities for the public to report fires, staffing, training, certification of telecommunicators, and facilities for dispatching fire departments
• the fire department, including equipment, staffing, training, and geographic deployment of fire companies
•  the water supply system, including the inspection and flow testing of hydrants and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires
• community efforts to reduce the risk of fire, including fire prevention codes and enforcement, public fire safety education, and fire investigation programs

Prior to the consolidation of territories, Grangerland was rated a Class 9, and the Bennette area was a Class 10. As a result of the consolidation and efforts by the fire department, in 2012 the updated ISO PPC became a split classification of 3/9. Areas within 5 road miles of a fire station as a Class 3 and a Class 9 if more than 1,000 feet of a credible water supply.

The improved ISO rating likely will result in lower insurance costs for your property. Check with your insurance professional to determine your possible reduction. Also, comparing rates between different providers may give additional savings.