RFD lowered the Public Protection Classification in 2022 to a 3/3Y from a 4/4Y in 2018. While this sounds like a negative, like a golf score a lower score the better! There are many factors that determine the classification that a community will receive. Some of the major contributing items are responding personnel, on-duty personnel, apparatus availability, water system, communications ability, record keeping, training, and level of training of the Firefighters.

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 to determine what coverages to offer or prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance.

Each insurance company independently determines the premiums it charges its policyholders. The way an insurer uses ISO’s information on public fire protection may depend on several things including the company’s fire-loss experience, ratemaking methodology, underwriting guidelines, and its marketing strategy.

The classification is a direct result of the information gathered, and is dependent on the resource levels devoted to fire protection in existence at the time of survey.