What is an ISO Rating?

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) grades communities on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being a perfect score. The score, known as the “Public Protection Classification” is then used by insurance companies to determine the cost of hazard insurance premiums for their customers.

In 2017, the Roseville Fire Department was re-evaluated by the ISO. The score received, 84.52. This outstanding Class 2 rating means that our resident and business property owners enjoy the best insurance rates in the State of Minnesota!

Several factors are considered when the ISO grades a community. Among the criteria are:

Fire Alarms

Ten percent of the overall grading is based on how well the fire department receives and dispatches fire alarms. Field representatives evaluate the communications center, looking at the number of operators at the center; the telephone service, including the number of telephone lines coming into the center; and the listing of emergency numbers in the telephone book. Representatives also look at the dispatch circuits and how the center notifies firefighters about the location of the emergency.

Fire Department

Fifty percent of the overall grading is based on the number of engine companies and the amount of water a community needs to fight a fire. ISO reviews the distribution of fire companies throughout the area and checks that the fire department tests its pumps regularly and inventories each engine company's nozzles, hoses, breathing apparatus, and other equipment. ISO also reviews the fire-company records to determine:

Type & Extent of Training Provided

The number of people who participate in training, firefighter response to emergencies and maintenance and testing of the fire department's equipment.

Water Supply

Forty percent of the grading is based on the community's water supply. This part of the survey focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression beyond daily maximum consumption. ISO surveys all components of the water supply system, including pumps, storage, and filtration. They observe fire-flow tests at representative locations in the community to determine the rate of flow the water mains provide. Last, ISO counts the distribution of fire hydrants no more than 1,000 feet from the representative locations.

For more information on ISO, please visit their website.