White Plains Fire Department Earns High ISO Rating, in Top 97 Nationwide
The White Plains Fire Department received notice last week that it has once again achieved an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification rating of 1, the highest rating offered. The department earned 91.90 credits out of a possible 105.50 points of credit available.
In 2015, the ISO reported that only 97 fire departments in the country earned this rating out of 48,855 rated departments. In New York State there are three fire departments with an ISO rating of 1.
According to the ISO report on White Plains: “A community’s investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses.” The report further indicates that: “In general, the price of fire insurance in a community with a good Public Protection Classification (“PPC”) grade is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC grade…”
White Plains’ rating will benefit the community by reducing the City’s fire insurance premiums.
In a press release announcing the rating Public Safety Commissioner Chong said: “I would like to congratulate Chief Lyman and the entire Fire Bureau on this achievement. I have seen firsthand their outstanding work and commitment to improving the safety of our residents and businesses, as well as the tens of thousands of employees and visitors who come to White Plains every day.”
Fire Chief Lyman said, “This rating would not be possible without the collaboration and cooperation of the Department of Public Works, Department of Building, Fire Bureau and Public Safety Communications. I would like to personally thank these departments and the personnel who worked with us to collect the data and to prepare the information necessary for presentation during the evaluation by ISO.”
In particular, the ISO rating acknowledges White Plains Fire Department’s structure for fire suppression, which includes: Emergency communications and dispatching systems; Fire department equipment, staffing, training, geographic distribution of fire companies, operational considerations, and community risk reduction programs and initiatives; Needed fire flows, which are representative building locations used to determine the theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression purposes; Water supply, including inspection and flow testing of hydrants, alternative water supply operations and an evaluation of the amount of available water compared with the amount needed to suppress fires up to 3,500 gpm.
According to the White Plains Department of Public Safety website, Fire Suppression is the largest division within the White Plains Fire Bureau. The Division provides fire suppression, rescue and hazardous material services, and staffs five Engine companies, three Truck companies and one Rescue company.
Each group is managed by a Deputy Chief. Suppression is charged with responding to alarms of fire, performing suppression functions, and assuring complete extinguishment.
The priorities of Fire Suppression are life safety, incident stabilization and property preservation. Fire Suppression members participate in daily inspections, fire safety educational programs and numerous other fire-related duties. Engine and Ladder Companies are normally staffed with a minimum of three personnel.
ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. ISO’s staff collects information about municipal fire suppression efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data and assigns a PPC grade – a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression program, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
ISO’s PPC program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria, incorporating nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Water Works Association.
