Insurance Services Organization (ISO) Ratings
Due to ongoing negotiations with ISO we are no longer able to verify Public Protection Class (PPC) ratings. Please contact ISO or your insurance agency directly.
ISO Recognizes Klamath County Fire District No. 1
Fire Station 5, 4950 Lakeshore Drive
BACKGROUND:
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is a Private Nonprofit Organization that evaluates fire loss risks based upon a Fire Suppression Rating Schedule that ISO developed for their use to determine the capability of a fire department to respond and suppress fires. The rating schedule assigns a numeric value called the Public Protection Class (PPC), ranging from 1 – 10, to a fire department or an area within the boundaries of the fire department. Insurance companies that subscribe to ISO services, and pay fees to ISO, use the PPC number to establish fire insurance premiums. The lower PPC numbers result in lower fire insurance premiums.
Prior to 2003 the residents of the Running Y enjoyed an ISO PPC of 4, the lowest within Fire District No 1. In 2003 ISO implemented a “5 Mile Rule” which changed the PPC from 4 to 10 (unprotected) for all properties that were located more than 5 road miles from the closest fire station. The new classification resulted in Fire Insurance premiums increasing by 300% – 400% for many properties within Fire District No. 1, including Running Y properties.
In 2008 Klamath County Fire District No. 1 completed the design and construction of a new fire station at 4950 Lakeshore Drive at a final cost of almost $1.7 million. In November 2008, 3 full-time firefighters were assigned to a Fire Engine at Station 5 to work 24-hours shifts 365 days per year, as is the case for all of the other 4 fire stations. The new Fire Station 5 was built and staffed in a good faith effort to reduce the ISO PPC back to the pre-2003 Class 4 and thereby reduce fire insurance premiums for property owners.
Since November of 2008, Fire District No. 1 staff believed that we had complied with ISO requirements for ISO recognition of Fire Station 5 and that the PPC for the Running Y had returned to a Class 4. We recently corresponded with ISO and were informed in a letter dated July 30, 2010. (click to view ISO correspondence) that they did not recognize the new Fire Station 5 and the PPC for the Running Y was still a 10.
CURRENT STATUS:
The Fire District filed a formal appeal to ISO in late August or early September of 2010 requesting recognition of Fire Station 5. The Fire District’s appeal was supported by the State Insurance Commissioner, the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association and the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
On March 9, 2011 the Fire District received a letter, dated February 16, 2011, from ISO addressed to Ms. Gloria Storey, Board President of Klamath County Fire District No. 1 (click here to view letter). ISO has not informed us of any change in the PPC for properties located within 5 road miles of Station 5, located at 4950 Lakeshore Dr. However, Insurance Company officials have been told by ISO that the PPC for properties located within 5 road miles of Station 5 are a PPC 4 if the property is within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant and an 8b if there is no fire hydrant within 1,000 feet of the property.
The Subdivisions that are mostly affected by the recognition of Station 5 are Running Y (click to view map of the Running Y subdivision), Ridgewater and Southview clcik to view map of these Subdivisions). Maps of these areas are shown here
CONCLUSION:
Your patience during this lengthy struggle to gain ISO recognition of Station 5 is most appreciated by Klamath County Fire District No. 1 personnel.
Respectfully,
Jim Wenzel, Fire Chief
The following insurance compies are NOT using the ISO PPC rating schedule. These companies base the protection class on the number of miles from a responding staiton and location of a water source.
- Sublimity
- State Farm
The following list of insurance companies are currently using the ISO PPC rating schedule.
- AAA
- AIG
- Allied
- All State
- American Family Insurance
- Country Financial
- Farmers Insurance
- Foremost
- Geico
- Liberty Mutual
- Met Life
- MIS
- Mutual of Enumclaw
- Nation Wide
- Oregon Mutual
- Safeco
- Traveler’s
- USAA
These lists are not a complete directory of incurance companies.
© Klamath County Fire District No. 1