Zionsville Fire Chief James VanGorder and Mayor Tim Haak announced that the Zionsville Fire Department has improved its Public Protection Classification (PPC) from the Insurance Service Office (ISO). ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators and others by providing information about risk.
The ISO classification system ranks departments on a scale of Class 1 to Class 10, with 1 representing the best in property fire protection and 10 indicating that the area's fire suppression program does not meet ISO's minimum criteria. ZFD received an ISO Class 2/2Y rating in its most recent evaluation completed this past December. The Department’s previous PPC rating was a 4/4X.
“The improved ISO PPC rating is a testament to the tremendous work and dedication put forth by ZFD members, Citizens Energy Group and the dispatch center,” said Chief VanGorder. “Improving our ISO rating shows that our Fire Department is improving its service delivery, fire prevention activities and ultimately making the community a safer place to live, work and play.”
The improvement places ZFD in the top 2% of fire departments in Indiana and the top 5% of fire departments evaluated by ISO nationwide.
“The improved rating is a true testament to Chief VanGorder’s leadership and the hard work of our firefighters and paramedics,” said Mayor Haak. “This is an incredible example of the department working hard to benefit the community and an important economic development tool for the town.”
The new rating, which will take effect on November 1, 2019, may decrease annual insurance premiums for residential and commercial property owners within the Town of Zionsville. Holders of insurance policies for properties within the Department’s service area can contact insurance providers to determine how the new classification may impact their premiums.