Schaumburg Fire Department receives ISO Class 1 rating
The Schaumburg Fire Department is proud to announce that for the first time in its history, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) has awarded the department an ISO Class 1 Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating, the highest that can be achieved. This classification demonstrates the department’s ability to provide the best in emergency response and community risk reduction.
The Schaumburg Fire Department joins 28 other communities in Illinois that have an ISO 1 rating. Schaumburg is also one of six communities in Illinois and joins 124 communities in the United States that have both an ISO 1 rating and have achieved accreditation status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). Accredited agencies are often described as being community-focused, data-driven, outcome-focused, strategic-minded, well organized, properly equipped, and properly staffed and trained.
ISO provides statistical information on risk and classifies communities on a scale ranging from 1 to 10, with 1 being the top rating. To earn an ISO 1 rating, communities are required to demonstrate their capabilities for water distribution, fire department equipment, fire department staffing, training, public education, fire/building codes and fire notification (dispatch) facilities.
“An ISO 1 Rating has long been a symbol of excellence in the fire service across the country, and I’m proud of the collaborative effort that was undertaken by several departments and agencies to assist the fire department in achieving this classification,” said Schaumburg Fire Chief Jim Walters. “Schaumburg has a long tradition of providing outstanding fire protection to our citizens, and we’ll continue to look for ways in which we can improve the services we provide.”
To achieve the ISO 1 rating, the fire department made several improvements that included enhancing documentation of all training activity, increasing its live fire training, completing pre-response plans for all commercial and industrial buildings and reassigning a ladder truck from Station 53 to 51 for better aerial ladder coverage, among others.
Walters also acknowledged the activities that allowed the village to improve upon its service capabilities, which led to achieving a higher rating. An example of this includes working with the Engineering & Public Works Department to update the village’s water model report. The report is beneficial in reviewing what areas of water main need to be replaced and aligning potential repairs with upcoming road construction improvement projects. The report is also used to identify potential water flow deficiencies in the village’s network that may need to be addressed in future capital planning efforts.
In addition to water distribution analysis, the ISO rating process also reviews how public safety personnel is dispatched for emergencies. Schaumburg is served by Northwest Central Dispatch (NWCDS), which is an ACE (Accredited Center of Excellence) through the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) for both Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD), as well as a certified partner with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators and others by providing information about risk. The Public Protection Classification rating is sometimes used by insurance companies to calculate premium rates. Higher classification ratings of a fire department or fire district reflect overall protection, which may have the potential to lower insurance premiums primarily for businesses but may also include residences as well.
For information about the Schaumburg Fire Department, visit www.schaumburg.com/fire, dial 311 in the village or call (847) 895-4500 outside the village.