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<br /> <br />PPC is a registered trademark of Insurance Services Office, Inc. <br /> Page 1 <br />Background Information <br /> <br />Introduction <br />ISO collects and evaluates information from communities in the United States on their structure <br />fire suppression capabilities. The data is analyzed using our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule <br />(FSRS) and then a Public Protection Classification (PPC©) grade is assigned to the community. <br />The surveys are conducted whenever it appears that there is a possibility of a PPC change. As <br />such, the PPC program provides important, up-to-date information about fire protection <br />services throughout the country. <br />The FSRS recognizes fire protection features only as they relate to suppression of first alarm <br />structure fires. In many communities, fire suppression may be only a small part of the fire <br />department's overall responsibility. ISO recognizes the dynamic and comprehensive duties of <br />a community's fire service, and understands the complex decisions a community must make <br />in planning and delivering emergency services. However, in developing a community’s PPC <br />grade, only features related to reducing property losses from structural fires are evaluated. <br />Multiple alarms, simultaneous incidents and life safety are not considered in this evaluation. <br />The PPC program evaluates the fire protection for small to average size buildings. Specific <br />properties with a Needed Fire Flow in excess of 3,500 gpm are evaluated separately and <br />assigned an individual PPC grade. <br />A community's investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire <br />losses. Statistical data on insurance losses bears out the relationship between excellent fire <br />protection – as measured by the PPC program – and low fire losses. So, insurance companies <br />use PPC information for marketing, underwriting, and to help establish fair premiums for <br />homeowners and commercial fire insurance. In general, the price of fire insurance in a <br />community with a good PPC grade is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC <br />grade, assuming all other factors are equal. <br />ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire <br />departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. ISO's expert <br />staff collects information about municipal fire suppression efforts in communities throughout <br />the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data and assigns <br />a PPC grade – a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression <br />program, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire suppression program does not meet ISO's <br />minimum criteria. <br />ISO's PPC program evaluates communities according to a uniform set of criteria, incorporating <br />nationally recognized standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association and the <br />American Water Works Association. A community's PPC grade depends on: <br />➢ Needed Fire Flows, which are representative building locations used to determine the <br />theoretical amount of water necessary for fire suppression purposes. <br />➢ Emergency Communications, including emergency reporting, telecommunicators, <br />and dispatching systems. <br />➢ Fire Department, including equipment, staffing, training, geographic distribution of fire <br />companies, operational considerations, and community risk reduction. <br />➢ Water Supply, including inspection and flow testing of hydrants, alternative water <br />supply operations, and a careful evaluation of the amount of available water compared <br />with the amount needed to suppress fires up to 3,500 gpm.