Insurance Service Office (ISO) Rating
Fire Protection Services
A community committed to saving lives and property needs trained firefighters, proper equipment, and adequate supplies of water. Insurance companies consider it good public policy and good business to promote and encourage the efforts of individual communities to improve their fire protection services. That's why, for almost a century, U.S. property insurance companies have funded key initiatives aimed at fire prevention and fire mitigation.
Public Protection Classification Program
In the battle against fire losses, one of the insurance industry's most important weapons is the Public Protection Classification (PPC) program from Insurance Service Office (ISO). The PPC program provides important, up-to-date information about municipal fire protection services throughout the country. The rating is from 1-10 with 1 being "The Best". A community's investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Insurance companies use PPC information to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance and generally offer lower premiums in communities with better protection.
Lake Cities Rating
In November 2018, the Lake Cites Fire Department announced an improvement in the Fire Department's Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from a Class 4/4X to a split Class 2/2Y for the communities of Corinth, Hickory Creek, Lake Dallas, and Shady Shores.
This change could mean savings in insurance premiums for property owners. The split classification of 2/2Y reflects more precisely the risk of loss in the community. The "Y" rating is applied to properties with a water supply greater than 1,000 feet from the property while ISO recognizes the ability of the department to supply water in alternative means.
Benefits
By offering economic benefits for communities that invest in their firefighting services, the PPC program provides a real incentive for improving and maintaining public fire protection. The program also provides help for fire departments and other public officials as they plan for, budget, and justify improvements.
The most significant benefit of the PPC program is its effect on losses. Statistical data on insurance losses bears out the relationship between excellent fire protection and low fire losses.
