What is an ISO rating?
An ISO fire rating is a score provided to fire departments and insurance companies by the Insurance Services Office. The score reflects how prepared a community and area is for fires. While it mainly focuses on the local fire departments and water supply, there are other factors that contribute to an area’s score. An ISO fire rating, also referred to as a fire score or Public Protection Classification (PPC), is a score from one to 10 that indicates how well-protected your community is by the fire department. In the ISO rating scale, a lower number is better: one is the best possible rating, while a 10 means the fire department did not meet ISO’s minimum requirements. 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. However, the impact of your area’s ISO score on your homeowners insurance policy varies by insurer.
The Glenside Fire Protection District has an ISO rating of 2.