The national Insurance Services Office (ISO) has upgraded the City of Dubuque’s fire suppression capabilities rating based on the city’s fire department, emergency communications, water supply, and community risk reduction. As a result, Dubuque received the second-highest rating possible, placing it among the top three percent in the nation. ISO conducted an evaluation of Dubuque’s fire protection service over the summer of 2015 and recently notified the City that Dubuque’s fire suppression rating has been upgraded from Class 3 to Class 2. The Class 2 rating is the highest rating achieved among Iowa fire departments. Of the 2,332 Iowa fire departments evaluated, only 13 (0.55 percent) have achieved a Class 2 rating and none have a Class 1 rating. Furthermore, this upgraded rating puts Dubuque among the top three percent of the 48,632 fire departments in the United States evaluated by ISO. “We’re pleased to receive this reaffirmation of Dubuque’s high-quality fire protection service by an objective evaluator,” said Dubuque Fire Chief Rick Steines. “The rating reflects not only our fire department and emergency dispatchers, but also our water department and the critical infrastructure they maintain and we rely on when we fight a fire.” The rating provides fire departments with a benchmark and can be used for planning, budgeting, and justifying fire protection improvements. According to ISO, the rating is important to not only fire departments but entire communities. Residents and business owners in communities whose fire suppression rating improves may get lower insurance prices. ISO says most U.S. insurers use the information as part of their decision- making when deciding what business to write, coverages to offer, and prices to charge for personal or commercial property insurance. Each insurance company independently determines the premiums it charges its policyholders.