KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Only 144 fire district have the Class 1 rating, including just four in Arkansas.
• Little Rock received a grade of 91.10 and received high marks for its deployment analysis, training, and water capabilities.
• Nearly 12,000 business licenses have been issued in the City. Companies in Little Rock are likely to see a reduction in their insurance premiums because of this new rating.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Jan. 6, 2016) – The Little Rock Fire Department has attained a Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), becoming one of only 144 departments nationwide to earn the “superior property fire protection” distinction from the organization.

“This is not only a great accomplishment for our Fire Department but for our entire City,” said City Manager Bruce T. Moore. “Years of dedication and hard work went into attaining this Class 1 status, and I am extremely proud of our Fire Department employees who helped us reach this milestone.”

An ISO representative called the department’s deployment analysis and training scores exceptional, pointing out that the training score was among the highest he has seen.

 “This achievement shows a commitment to fire protection that is second to none,” said Fire Chief Gregory Summers, adding that the National Fire Protection Association estimates that there are around 30,000 fire departments in the United States.

According to Summers, the Little Rock Fire Department put forth a concerted effort to improve upon several areas of the Public Protection Classification program. That included accurately documenting pre-fire plans, logging hundreds of training hours, and upgrading the response profile, which means that the department can put 15 people on the scene of a 2,000-square-foot structure within 8 minutes 90 percent of the time.

Fire prevention and fire safety education were also a focus for the department, Summers said.

The ISO Public Protection Classification program recognizes the efforts of communities to provide fire protection services for citizens and property owners. Insurances companies use the rating to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance, which generally results in offering lower premiums in communities with a better class protection rating. Although homeowners may not see significant reductions in premiums, industrial and commercial properties will.

The program conducts on-site surveys of fire departments, water supply facilities, and emergency communications in addition to analyzing community risk reduction efforts.  The fire department evaluation accounts for 50 points of the total score.

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