Fire Department Ranks Among Top 1 Percent In Nation

From Evanston FD: The Evanston Fire Department's fire protection services have received the highest possible rating from an insurance industry advisory company, the department announced today.

Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) awarded the department a Class 1 designation through its Public Protection Classification (PPC) program, which assesses communities’ fire protection efforts. The department's new rating, which is an improvement from its previous Class 2 designation, will take effect on October 1, 2018.

ISO has evaluated the fire protection services of more than 46,000 fire departments across the nation. Only 305 nationwide, including 16 in Illinois, have achieved a Class 1 designation, placing the Evanston Fire Department in the top 1 percent of all fire departments in the country.

“This prestigious designation validates what we already know: The Evanston Fire Department is one of the best in the nation,” said Fire Chief Brian Scott. “Achieving the Class 1 rating reflects the exceptional fire protection services we provide to the great City of Evanston each and every day, as well as our commitment to our core values of service, professionalism and tradition. This outstanding achievement would not have been possible without the hard work and collaboration of many City of Evanston departments and staff, including members of the Evanston Fire Department, Public Works Agency Water Production Bureau, and Evanston Police Department Communications Bureau.”

ISO’s Public Protection Classification review is conducted by expert ISO staff on a five-year cycle, and includes site visits, records examination and observation. Four major areas are evaluated: fire department operations, water supply, emergency communications and community risk reduction. Using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, ISO analyzes the data and then assigns a Public Protection Classification 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.

By classifying their ability to suppress fires, ISO helps communities evaluate their public fire protection services. The PPC program provides an objective, nationwide 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. 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.

For more information, visit the ISO mitigation website at www.isomitigation.com or call/text the City of Evanston at 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.

Image via Evanston FD