City Receives Highest Fire Protection Classification

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) reclassified the City of Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services as an ISO Class 1, their highest awarded classification in February 2018.

Of the nearly 45,000 Public Fire Protection Districts in the United States, only 270 are ISO Class I and only seven are located in Virginia. This puts Richmond in the top 1 percent for fire protection in the nation.

ISO collects and evaluates information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents superior property fire protection and Class 10 does not meet the minimum requirements of protection.

ISO evaluates a community's fire protection, emergency communications, municipal water supply system, and community risk reduction efforts. The city's fire hydrants are maintained by the Department of Public Utilities.

A community's investment in fire protection is a reliable predictor of future fire losses. Insurance companies use ISO classification information to help establish premiums for fire insurance. Communities with better protection generally are offered lower premiums.