Stoney Point Fire Department is a Class 3 volunteer fire department! There is only one volunteer fire department in North Carolina holding this rating.

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Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) provides rating information to insurance companies concerning community fire protection. ISO collects information on a community’s public fire protection and analyzes the data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). They then assign a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents the best public protection, and Class 10 indicates no recognized protection. This information is used by the insurance companies in determining premiums for commercial property and homeowners’ fire insurance.

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The Fire Suppression Rating Schedule is the manual ISO uses to review the individual community’s fire-fighting capabilities. The schedule measures major elements of a community’s fire-suppression system, and develops a numerical grading called a Public Protection Classification (PPCTM). ISO’s Public Protection Classifications (PPCs) gauges fire department capacity to respond if flames engulf a property. There are numerous areas checked and assessed, with the cumulative score determining that particular fire company’s rating.

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ISO Reviews:
 

Fire Alarms

Ten percent of the overall grading is based upon how well the fire department receives and processes fire alarms, and dispatches its firefighting resources. ISO field representatives evaluate the communications center assessing the number of operators at the center, the telephone service, including the number of telephone lines coming into the center and the telephone book listing of emergency phone numbers. ISO field representatives review the dispatch circuits and how the center notifies firefighters about the emergency’s location.

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Engine Companies

Fifty percent of the overall grading is based on the number of engine companies (pumping apparatus) and the amount of water a community needs to fight a fire. ISO reviews the fire company distribution throughout the area and checks that the fire department tests its pumping apparatus regularly. ISO further scrutinizes the inventories each engine company’s nozzles, hoses, breathing apparatus, and other equipment. Fire company records are reviewed to determine:

• type and extent of training provided

• number of training participants

• firefighter response to emergencies

• fire department equipment maintenance and testing

Water Supply

Forty percent of the grading relies upon the community’s water supply. This portion focuses on whether the community has sufficient water supply for fire suppression that goes beyond daily maximum domestic consumption. ISO surveys all components of the water supply system including pumps, storage, and filtration. To determine the rate of flow the water mains provide, ISO observes fire-flow tests at representative locations in the community. Finally, they evaluate fire hydrant distribution.

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ISO Rating Schedule
ISO determines Class 8 and below. NC Department of Insurance determines Class 9 and 10.

Class 10 (Unprotected)
Class 9S (Satisfactory 9 rating)
Class 8
Class 7
Class 6
Class 5
Class 4
Class 3 (STONEY POINT IS A CLASS 3 FIRE DEPARTMENT)
Class 2
Class 1 (There is only one class 1 in North Carolina.)
Remember, the lower (1 being the lowest) the ISO rating the lower your insurance premium will be on homeowners fire insurance.

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“Protection of Life and Property Through Prevention”