Insurance Services Office Rating Copyright 2014
City of Dubuque Action Items # 6.
ITEM TITLE: Insurance Services Office Rating
SUMMARY: The City Manager transmitting information about the City of
Dubuque's Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating related
to the City's fire protection ability being upgraded to Class
2.
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Insurance Services Office Rating-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Insurance Services Office Rating Memo Staff Memo
THE CITY OF Dubuque
UBE I
erica .i
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007-2012-2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Insurance Services Office Rating
DATE: February 9, 2016
Fire Chief Rick Steines is transmitting information about the City of Dubuque's
Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating.
ISO reviews the fire protection ability of over 48,000 fire protection areas in the United
States. A Public Protection Classification is assigned based on a sliding scale of 1-10,
with class 1 being the top rating. A city's rating is based on three components; fire
department (50%), water supply (40%), and emergency communications (10%). ISO is
the leading supplier of data and analytics for the property/casualty insurance industry.
Most insurers use Public Protection Classifications for underwriting and calculating
premiums for residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
On March 1, 2016, the new rating for the City of Dubuque will be class 2. This rating
reflects an improvement over the Class 3 rating assigned in the last review, which was
in 2007. Dubuque's class 2 rating is the highest among Iowa fire departments (there
are no class 1 departments in the state). Additionally, the class 2 rating puts Dubuque
among the top 2.8% of over 44,000 rated fire departments in the United States.
The rating is based on evaluations of fire department apparatus, equipment, training,
and inspection programs; water supply capabilities and maintenance, and the ability to
receive and document reports of fire and transmit radio communications.
I want to commend the Mayor and City Council for the policy decisions and investments
that led to this improved rating. I also want to recognize the leadership of Fire Chief
Rick Steines, Water Department Manager Bob Green, and Emergency Communications
Manager Mark Murphy, and the hard work of all the employees of the Fire Department,
Water Department and Emergency Communications Center.
// k�4 S4-Z�n="
Micliael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Rick Steines, Fire Chief
Bob Green, Water Department Manager
Mark Murphy, Emergency Communications Manager
2
THE CITY OF Dubuque
AII-Ame1 rica City
DUBgkE r
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2007.2012.2013
TO: City Manager Michael C. Van Milligen
FROM: Fire Chief Rick Steines
DATE: February 9, 2016
RE: Insurance Services Office Rating
INTRODUCTION
During the summer of 2015 the Insurance Services Office (ISO) reviewed
information about the city's fire protection capabilities. ISO informed the city in late
November that our rating will improve beginning March 1, 2016.
DISCUSSION
ISO reviews the fire protection ability of over 48,000 fire protection areas in the
United States. A Public Protection Classification is assigned based on a sliding scale of
1-10, with class 1 being the top rating. A city's rating is based on three components; fire
department (50%), water supply (40%), and emergency communications (10%). ISO is
the leading supplier of data and analytics for the property/casualty insurance industry.
Most insurers use PPC classifications for underwriting and calculating premiums for
residential, commercial, and industrial properties.
The new rating for the City of Dubuque will be class 2. This rating reflects an
improvement over the last review which was in 2007. Dubuque's class 2 rating is the
highest among Iowa fire departments (there are no class 1 departments in the state).
Additionally, the class 2 rating puts Dubuque among the top 2.8% of fire departments in
the United States.
The rating is based on evaluations of fire department apparatus, equipment,
training, and inspection programs; water supply capabilities and maintenance, and the
ability to receive and document reports of fire and transmit radio communications.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend acknowledgement of the rating improvement by city council.
Further I want to thank Robert Green, Water Department Manager and Mark Murphy,
911 Communications Manager, along with their respective teams for helping make this
improvement possible.
ACTION REQUESTED
I respectfully request this information be shared with the city council and the
general public.