Although many municipal leaders are aware of the importance of the ISO Public Protection Classification (PPCâ„¢), some may not realize that this program provides excellent opportunities to improve local fire protection capabilities and in turn improve the property insurance classification of their jurisdiction.
The PPC evaluation exists for more than 46,000 fire protection areas and recognizes the efforts of communities to provide their citizens and property owners with fire protection services consisting of three major components: fire alarm, fire department and water supply. Those seeking an improvement in classification may be looking for objective information and the right opportunities to help tackle the task in any of the principal areas of fire protection. Even if your community has already earned a better PPC, it’s important to keep abreast of change to maintain or even further improve your classification.
The Basics: Why PPC Matters
Fire continues to be the largest single cause of property loss in the United States. According to the latest research by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 524,000 structure fires in 2006 caused 3,245 civilian deaths, 16,400 civilian injuries and $11.3 billion in property damage. In the last decade, fires have caused direct insured losses of more than $120 billion and countless billions in related costs. Although other devastating perils such as wind events, earthquakes and flooding command deserved worldwide attention, building fires represent the daily “drumbeat” of losses across the country.
The manner in which effective fire protection resources are deployed and utilized varies greatly across the country. ISO’s PPC program measures the fire department and its capabilities (50 percent), the availability and adequacy of the local water supply (40 percent) and the fire alarm and communication systems (10 percent). On the basis of points assigned through application of the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), communities are assigned a PPC code ranging from 1 to 10. A community with a PPC of 1 is generally recognized as having superior fire-suppression capabilities; a community graded PPC 10 is generally regarded as having no recognized fire protection from a property insurance standpoint. Note: In five states (Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington), an independent insurance rating bureau conducts reviews using an ISO-developed fire-suppression schedule.
Beyond the classification of a fire protection area, the geographic considerations related to the fire station locations, boundaries served, existence of automatic aid and area served by fire hydrants or alternative water all play an important part in correctly classifying the recognized fire department response.
A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Virtually all property insurers in the country receive ISO’s advisory PPCs for a variety of marketing, underwriting and writing purposes, generally offering lower premiums in communities with better protection. By offering economic benefits to communities that invest in firefighting services, the program provides a unique incentive for improving and maintaining public fire protection. Taken into account with other loss data, insurers want to know where those variances in protection exist. Fire departments want to know how they stack up and how they could improve if they had the ability and resources to do so.
ISO provides several resources to help fire departments do just that, starting with the custom report created when the PPC evaluation is conducted. The report includes a summary listing of the pertinent aspects of protection, identifying specific actions the community can take to gain an improved classification. ISO provides summaries to the highest municipal official, the fire chief and the water utility superintendent at the conclusion of each grading visit.
After obtaining your report, which will help you identify your community’s strengths and weaknesses in fire protection, consider one or more of the following steps to improve your ISO rating.
Know Your Needed Fire Flows
The comprehensive PPC review of structural firefighting capabilities begins at the fundamental level–the number, type, location, height, construction and occupancy of buildings within the boundaries of the community undergoing evaluation. The review leverages ISO’s commercial building database with additional needed fire flows for larger structures, supplemented by representative needed flows in residential areas, to determine what can burn in the community.
Each needed fire flow calculation represents the total estimated number of gallons per minute (gpm) of water required to suppress a specific building fire. In turn, an analysis of the highest needed fire flows results in the determination of a communitywide basic fire flow, which sets the stage for the amount and distribution of fire department and related water supply resources necessary to control hostile fires within community boundaries.
Consequently, the extent and scope of proactive local government planning for effective fire protection are reflected in the PPC evaluations. Example: In a community with strong fire and building codes that mandate the installation and inspection of fire sprinkler systems, such affected structures will place less demand on the water and fire departments for the boots-on-the-ground suppression mode. Large, non-sprinklered buildings need much higher fire flows, thus indicating more apparatus, equipment, personnel and water supplies to control building fires effectively.
A number of fire departments across the country have participated in information-sharing projects with ISO to compare local fire department building inspection and fire sprinkler testing data with ISO’s commercial building database. When a building contains a fire sprinkler system but ISO lacks documentation of sprinkler test results on file at the property, provision of such evidence of testing by a contractor or the fire department and a subsequent revisit by an ISO field representative can result in the needed fire flow being lowered. As a result, the building owner may be in a position to qualify for a lower insurance premium in cases where the insurance carrier is relying on ISO advisory information. Fire officials in numerous communities–such as Aspen, Colo.; Cherry Hill, N.J.; Jersey City, N.J.; Las Vegas; Lexington County, S.C.; Madison, Wis.; and Northbrook, Ill.–have benefited from such information-sharing projects.
Enhance Training & Preplanning
Enhancing fire training and keeping good records can facilitate the possibility of earning more PPC credit points without a significant financial outlay. Some examples include the following (as compared with the maximum PPC training credit available):
- Training of new recruits: 240 hours per person
- Ongoing member training: 20 hours per member per month, including single- and multi-company drills (day and night sessions)
- Fire officer training: 2 days of 6 hours each per year
- Apparatus driver/operator training: 4 half-day sessions per year
The completion of records is crucial, as incomplete documentation will result in a reduced number of credits.
ISO can also extend maximum credit for twice-yearly preplanning inspection of each commercial, industrial, institutional and other similar structure. Records of the inspections should include complete and up-to-date notes and sketches.
Also, alliances with nearby fire departments for shared training resources within reasonable travel distances, such as burn buildings and training grounds, can result in more credit, often at a manageable additional cost to the municipalities involved. In addition, provision of full-time automatic-aid response for structure fires can allow some communities to score higher in those cases where automatic-aid fire stations with engine companies may be closer to more remote areas or where a nearby ladder or truck company can respond on all three-story building or higher structural alarms where none may otherwise exist. Often, departments can incorporate these share-and-share-alike agreements into regular fire department operations with minimal or manageable budgetary effect.
Improve Testing & Maintenance
Fire chiefs know that the fireground is no place to discover deficiencies in apparatus and equipment serviceability. Therefore, ISO has placed much emphasis on the value of testing and certification of the crucial tools that firefighters rely on to conduct their dangerous jobs.
As outlined in the Community Outreach Program questionnaire as well as the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, ISO reviews and credits records of pumper and aerial device service tests as described in NFPA 1911: Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing, and Retirement of In-Service Automotive Fire Apparatus.
In the same way, ISO reviews records of hose testing as described in the general criteria of NFPA 1962: Standard for the Inspection, Care, and Use of Fire Hose, Couplings, and Nozzles and the Service Testing of Fire Hose.
The relatively minor costs associated with such testing programs pales in comparison with the almost incalculable value of preventing equipment failure, in terms of both safety and reliability. Whether a department conducts its own testing or chooses to use an outside source, it’s important to keep accurate records of each test conducted.
Enhance Water Supply
The ISO evaluation typically includes the details and records of all water supply facilities and operations. The ISO field representative will examine a current water utility map to identify the locations of new supply or storage facilities, mains, pressure zones, valves and hydrants.
The ISO field representative will select buildings of various sizes and occupancy hazard classifications throughout the community to assess the water availability and delivery for the community. To determine the adequacy of the water supply, the ISO representative normally witnesses hydrant flow tests at select locations. The ISO representative will also select the locations considering the geography of the community, effect of flows due to elevation changes (as applicable), and the range of needed fire flows for the buildings in the community. In addition, hydrants are evaluated in general regarding their condition and frequency of inspection. Tip: To get the best credit, initiate semi-annual inspections, pressure testing and flushing of your hydrants.
For those areas or jurisdictions without the advantage of municipal piped water systems, the PPC review can also credit hauled-water operations. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) publication “Implementing an Alternative Water Supply Program” can serve as a useful educational tool to facilitate a broader understanding of the available insurance credit. This USFA program discusses the effect on a community when a fire department applies to improve its ISO evaluation. Also included are segments on identifying and modifying water supply sites to ensure water availability throughout the changing climactic seasons; training within the fire department and among mutual-aid departments to develop a strong, uninterrupted flow of water to the incident; and adapting plans for rural communities and those experiencing the effects of growth.
Case Examples
But how does all of this play out in the real world? A number of communities either retain or improve their PPCs every year by implementing plans for enhancing fire protection within their locality. Typically, these plans involve comprehensive changes that target the three principal areas (fire alarm, water supply and the fire department) analyzed in the PPC.
Following are just a few real-world examples of communities that have had achieved ISO success:
- Springdale, Ark.–The community added to the communications center a secondary means of dispatching firefighters and upgraded the primary dispatch circuit to fully meet the intent of NFPA 1221 for Monitoring for Integrity. Springdale added another elevating platform ladder company to the department’s in-service apparatus and increased on-duty staffing. The department partnered with neighboring departments in sharing resources for a burn building and a drill tower. Result: Improved PPC from Class 3 to 2.
- Orlando–Orlando put into service two new, staffed fire stations and increased on-duty staffing overall. It relocated a ladder company for improved coverage and instituted an enhanced hydrant condition inspection program. Result: Improved PPC from Class 2 to 1.
- Hogan Township, Ind.–The community, which previously had no municipal piped water system, installed water mains and hydrants. The department enhanced its training program and added equipment to the engine company. Result: Improved PPC from Class 10 to 7/9, which means that properties located with 1,000 feet of a hydrant will receive Class 7, while properties located beyond 1,000 feet will receive Class 9.
- Castana, Iowa–Castana transitioned its telephone notification of fire alarms from the former seven-digit line ringing in fire department members’ homes to a 911 system. Members now carry portable radio pagers. The department made improvements to engine company equipment, pump capacity and pump- and hose-testing programs, and enhanced its training efforts. Result: Improved PPC from Class 8 to 7.
- Roscommon Township, Mich.–The community improved its water-hauling capability through a newer tender/tanker shuttle. The engine company increased its pump capacity, implemented a pump-testing program and enhanced its training. Result: Improved PPC from Class 7/10 to 6/10.
- Clever, Mo.–The community added service company and engine company equipment and carried and implemented pump testing. Clever replaced most of its water mains and all of the fire hydrants, added a new well and put in service a 300,000-gallon elevated water tank, resulting in improved hydrant flow tests. Result: Improved PPC from Class 8 to 4.
- Murfreesboro, Tenn.–Murfreesboro established a new emergency communications center and added new staffed and equipped fire stations with engine and ladder/service companies, resulting in an improved water system with additional storage capacity. Result: Improved PPC from Class 3/9 to 2.
Conclusion
In the battle against property loss, fire department officials around the country can be confident that ISO is an objective source for information and technical support. ISO’s PPC program provides a useful road map and economic incentives that can help local officials make the best available choices for improving local fire protection.
For more information, visit www.ISOmitigation.com or contact the author at mwaters@ISO.com.
Fire Chiefs Online
Fire Chiefs Online is a free secured Web site designed and administered by ISO strictly for fire chiefs, who can use the site to complete an ISO Community Outreach Questionnaire, access proprietary ISO data for commercial buildings located in their communities and view an interactive map of the respective fire protection area and verify its accuracy. Since its launch in late 2006, more than 7,000 fire officials have registered to use Fire Chiefs Online.
ISO strives to keep informed of such changes in local protection and prioritizes the field PPC evaluation process through use of the Community Outreach Program. Recognized countrywide and supported by more than 40 state fire-service associations, the Community Outreach Program helps identify important changes implemented by communities since ISOà•s last evaluation. Changes affecting how local residents benefit from fire-protection response include modifications in fire station locations, fire response boundaries, automatic aid and the extent of water hydrant service areas.
Each month, ISO contacts almost 1,300 fire officials by telephone and mail, requesting that they complete a detailed questionnaire and mark up a paper map to show any applicable updates for fire station locations, response boundaries and hydrant/water sources. Nonresponders to the Outreach Program are also sought out to validate that the current classification is in fact accurate.
