ISO Class 3 Department

Recently, the Fire Department was notified that Insurance Services Organization (ISO) has raised the Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating for the department to a Class 3. The new rating will take effect on December 1 2015. The new rating will likely lower insurance premiums in Niceville for property coverage.
The amount of reduction will depend upon several variables, including which insurance company the property owner has chosen. In general, the price of insurance in a community with good PPC is substantially lower than a community with a poor PPC, assuming all other factors are equal.

As a matter of reference, out of 765 fire departments in Florida, only 73 are rated as Class 3. Also, only 39 departments are rated higher than 3. Communities are rated from 1 -10 with one being the best and 10 allowing for no credit for fire service.

Compare our rating with the rest of the country and we are in the top .04%

The following community features were 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:

  • the emergency reporting system
  • the communications center, including the number of telecommunicators
  • computer-aided dispatch (CAD) facilities
  • 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:

  • type and extent of training provided to fire company personnel
  • number of people who participate in training
  • 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.

The City of Niceville is committed to saving lives and property by training professional firefighters, providing proper equipment, and an adequate supply of water. Members of the Niceville Fire Department are extremely proud that their hard work has paid off.