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Dr. Charles Moreland, Director of Community Affairs for Mayor Lenny Curry, speaks during the announcement of Jacksonville's Class 1 rating.

City Earns Highest ISO Quality Rating, Officials Announced Today

January 19, 2016
Jacksonville Now Largest City in the Nation with Distinction 
 
Officials from Insurance Service Office (ISO) joined City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) leadership today to announce that the City of Jacksonville has earned the highest ISO rating it awards. The Class 1 distinction, held by only 140 out of 48,000 fire departments throughout the country, makes Jacksonville the largest city in the nation with the top classification, and one of only 19 fire and rescue departments in the state.
 
“This is a big win for our city,” said Mayor Lenny Curry. “It clearly demonstrates the level of quality, excellence and commitment JFRD has to the public safety of our citizens.”

ISO is a company utilized for underwriting fire risk within cities and communities throughout the nation. Many insurance companies use the “ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC)” rating when calculating insurance premiums for property owners. PPC ratings range from one to 10, with one being the highest possible rating a fire department can receive, to a PPC of 10, which is considered the equivalent of the complete unavailability of fire protection.
 
In 2013, JFRD began an aggressive two-year program to improve its PPC rating with a variety of comprehensive efforts. They include building new fire stations, purchasing new fire equipment, updating policies and procedures, and strengthening partnerships with other city agencies such as JEA.
 
The new rating is expected to benefit both commercial and residential property owners, through potential insurance premium reductions.