Following its recent Insurance Services Office (ISO) inspection, the Carbondale Fire Department’s ISO rating has improved to the second-highest rating possible. The Fire Department previously held an ISO Rating of 4 but is pleased to report they now hold an ISO rating of 2, which will go into effect in September 2022.
A Fire Department’s ISO fire rating determines how well your local fire department can protect your community and home. A lower ISO rating indicates that your home or business is at a lower risk for serious fire damage. Insurance companies use the score to help set home insurance rates, as a home that is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire is cheaper to insure.
ISO rates fire protection services on a scale from one (1) to ten (10) with one being the highest and ten the lowest. In Illinois, only 29 of 11,767 (or 1%) of Departments hold the highest ISO rating of 1. The City of Carbondale Fire Department’s new ISO rating of 2 groups them in with the top 6% of all Fire Departments rated by ISO nationally.
ISO conducts a field survey of all fire departments regularly to observe and evaluate features of the fire protection system. Using what they call the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, they objectively evaluate four major areas: Emergency Communications Systems, Fire Department, Water Supply, and Community Risk Reduction. The Fire Department area accounts for the largest portion of the evaluation and looks at a community’s fire suppression capabilities. Items reviewed include engine and ladder companies, deployment of fire companies (response times), equipment carried on apparatus, pumping capacity, reserve apparatus, personnel, and training.
The impact of your area’s ISO score on your insurance policy varies by insurance carrier. Carbondale residents and business owners should contact their insurance carrier in September to see if this improved ISO rating may reduce their premiums.
For more information or to request an interview, call the Carbondale Fire Department at 618-457-3299.
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