ISO ratings are used by your insurance company to help set your homeowners insurance rates. They also can provide some insight into your area’s overall fire safety. ISO rates fire departments and also rates city’s based on building codes.
The Public Protection Classification Program for fire departments rates departments on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the best possible score. A score of 10 is not the worst outcome; the worst possible is to fail to qualify for rating. A better rating generally means a better equipped department with better reliable water sources and a better rating results in lower homeowner’s premiums, all other factors being equal. Requirements to receive a rating of 8 or better in the PPC program are:
To receive a Public Protection Classification (PPCTM) of Class 8 or better, a community must first have the minimum facilities and practices needed to get a PPC rating and must meet the minimum criteria for Class 9. In addition, the community must have these additional minimum facilities:
* There must be a minimum water supply of 250 gpm for a two-hour duration for fire protection in the area.If the fire department delivers the 250 gpm through tanker shuttle, large-diameter hose, or other alternative water supply, the water must be available within five minutes of the arrival of the first due apparatus, and the department must maintain the flow, without interruption, for the two-hour duration.
* The fire department must have at least one piece of suitably equipped apparatus with a pump of at least 250-gpm capacity rated at 150 psi.
Source: ISO Mitigation