St. Charles Fire Department receives top fire protection rating

The St. Charles Fire Department once again has been awarded a Public Protection Class 1 rating by the Insurance Services Office.

The department first achieved this elite rating in 2015. Protection classes are graded on a scale from 1 to 10, with Class 1 being the best rating possible.

This rating places St. Charles in the top 1.5% in Illinois, where only 27 of 1,772 fire departments have earned ISO Class 1, according to a news release from the city of St. Charles. Nationwide, this distinction places the department in the top 1% of the 39,200 fire departments in the country to achieve ISO Class 1, the release stated.

Communities with better fire protection ratings generally have lower insurance premium costs, according to the release. The insurance losses bear out the relationship between excellent fire protection, as measured by the PPC program, and lower fire losses experienced by the residents and businesses within a community.

The ISO evaluation process includes multiple sections and subsections to provide a thorough review of the fire protection capabilities and actual performance. The three general areas incorporate:

• Fire Department & Performance – 50%

• Water System & Supply – 40%

• Emergency Communications & Dispatch – 10%

The ISO Class 1 rating is only achieved through the combined efforts and cooperation of Tri-Com Central Dispatch, the Public Works Water Division and the St. Charles Fire Department, the release stated.