Oakland, CA — Fire Chief Reginald Freeman is proud to announce that the Oakland Fire Department has been formally approved as an ISO CLASS 1 organization, following a thorough evaluation by the Public Protection Classification Insurance Services Office.
ISO’s Public Protection Classification Program (PPC) plays an important role in the underwriting process at insurance companies. In fact, most U.S. insurers – including the largest ones – use PPC information as part of their decision-making when deciding which businesses to write, coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.
“I am immensely proud of our members -- their resiliency, perseverance, professionalism, and dedication to the job is second to none,” said Fire Chief Reginald Freeman. “It is not an easy feat to earn an ISO CLASS 1 designation, and it’s even harder to maintain that status. We still have a lot of work to do to shore up opportunities to sustain success; however, we will do so by continuing to listen and learn from one another so that we remain ready to respond to the evolving needs of the community we’re honored to serve.”
By classifying communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, nationwide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. Furthermore, by securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities, like Oakland, that continue to improve their firefighting services.
“This is a significant milestone which OFD and the entire city can be proud of and celebrate,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf. “This new top rating is a reflection of Oakland’s commitment to keeping residents and businesses safe, and I applaud the Fire Department on this important accomplishment.”
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 communities' ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services.
Currently, out of roughly 40,000 fire departments nationwide, there are 411 that hold an ISO CLASS 1 rating. Specifically, here in California, out of a total of 900 participating fire departments, only 42 have an ISO CLASS 1 rating. Key factors that contributed to the new rating were improved training, record keeping, and consistent testing of hydrants.