BIG NEWS!

It is with great pleasure and pride to announce that the Nutter Fort Fire Department has improved its ISO rating from a Class 3; 03/3X to a Class 2; 02/2X effective March 1st, 2022. As of 2016, Nationwide, only 1,164 fire departments are rated as Class 2 and only 178 are rated as Class 1.

What does this mean?
ISO is a third-party independent agency that evaluates the fire department, water department and communications systems. It rates the results on a national scale from one to ten (one being the best and highest). According to ISO, its Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process with insurance companies. Most U.S. insurers report that the PPC information is used in their decision-making process when deciding what business to cover, what coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance. With a community’s Class 2 rating, many insurance providers give a discount on annual insurance premiums for residences and businesses.

The PPC program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria. These criteria incorporate nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association.

The following community features are evaluated:

-Emergency Communications
A maximum of 10 points of a community’s overall score is based on how well the fire department receives and dispatches fire alarms. The field representatives evaluate:

A. the emergency reporting system
B. The communications center, including the number of telecommunicators
C. computer-aided dispatch (CAD) facilities
D. the dispatch circuits and how the center notifies firefighters about the location of the emergency

-Fire Department
A maximum of 50 points of the overall score is based on the fire department. ISO reviews the distribution of fire companies throughout the area and checks that the fire department tests its pumps regularly and inventories each engine and ladder company’s equipment according to NFPA 1901. ISO also reviews the fire company records to determine factors such as:

A. type and extent of training provided to fire company personnel
C. B. number of people who participate in training
D. firefighter response to emergencies
maintenance and testing of the fire department’s equipment

-Water Supply
A maximum of 40 points of the overall score is based on the community’s water supply. This part of the survey focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression beyond daily maximum consumption. ISO surveys all components of the water supply system. We also review fire hydrant inspections and frequency of flow testing. Finally, we count the number of fire hydrants that are no more than 1,000 feet from the representative locations.

We are all very proud of this accomplishment and it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the support of The Town of Nutter Fort, Nutter Fort Public Works, Harrison County Bureau of Emergency Services, and lastly but most importantly, our supporters in the communities we serve. Without your donations/contributions, upgrading our equipment to achieve this new rating wouldn’t be possible.