What is an ISO (Insurance Services Office) Rating?
Fort Bend County ESD2, which operates the Willowfork Fire Department, was inspected in 2003 and received an ISO PPC rating of “2”.
Insurance companies often price property insurance based upon the PPC (Public Protection Classification) rating assigned to a community. PPC ratings range from “1” which is the best possible score to “10” which is the lowest possible score. All fifty states use a variation of the PPC rating system.
ISO is an independent organization which evaluates the quality of a community’s fire protection service. It does so by using a PPC system incorporating standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association. The State Fire Marshal’s Office, which works under the Texas Department of Insurance, has oversight into the process used in an ISO evaluation.
An ISO inspection will evaluate the following:
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Fire Department
The score awarded during the fire department inspection represents 50% of the overall PPC score. Inspectors rate a department in several areas including: the staffing and training of its personnel; the number, types, and pumping capacity of the apparatus available for firefighting; and the distribution of its fire stations.
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Water supply
The community’s water supply accounts for 40% of the PPC score. The inspection will review all aspects of the local water supply system, including production, storage, water transmission lines, and water pressure. A critical portion of this review includes the number, location and ongoing maintenance of fire hydrants.
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Fire Alarm and Communications Systems
The final 10% of the PPC score is based upon a review of the community’s facilities and support for handling and dispatching fire alarms.
A composite PPC score is generated by combining the results from all three components, with “1” being the best possible score and “10” being the lowest possible score.
For more information on ISO PPC ratings, please visit the Texas Department of Insurance website: http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmppcfaq.html.
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