ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC) Programs

Union City’s ISO Rating: 2/2X

To help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties, insurance companies need reliable, up-to-date information about a community’s fire-protection services. ISO provides that information through the Public Protection Classification (PPCTM) program.

If the classification is a single class, the classification applies to properties with a Needed Fire Flow of 3,500 gallons per minute or less in the community.  If the classification is a split class, the following applies:

• The first class, 2, applies to properties within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant or alternate water supply.
• Class 2X applies to properties beyond 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant but within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station.

What is the PPC program?

ISO collects information on municipal fire-protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data using our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). They then assign a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire-suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

By classifying communities’ ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the communities evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, nation wide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. And by securing lower fire insurance premiums for communities with better public protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services.

ISO has extensive information on more than 44,000 fire-response jurisdictions.