by the Insurance Services Office (ISO)
Several months ago, the Heartland Fire & Rescue Department, which provides fire and emergency medical services to the cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, and Lemon Grove, voluntarily requested an external evaluation of the department’s services and capabilities by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). As a result, Heartland Fire & Rescue received a Class 1 rating from the ISO, which is the highest score a fire protection community can receive. The agency was previously at Class 2.
The Insurance Services Office evaluates fire protection efforts in cities and districts throughout the country. They rate agencies on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being the best. The ratings are calculated on multiple factors, such as the Fire Department itself, the water supply system, and the dispatch center.
“There are only two Class 1 ratings in San Diego County and Heartland Fire & Rescue is one of them,” said Chief Rick Sitta. “As a matter of fact, there just 97 Class 1 ratings out of 47,000 fire agencies in the United States. So, it is extremely rare for a fire agency to receive this kind of recognition.” Moreover, Heartland Fire & Rescue is now one of ten fire agencies with a Class 1 rating in the entire State of California.
Chief Rick Sitta noted that this rating is a result of a team effort. “It’s not just the Fire Department receiving the rating,” he said, “it’s a reflection of the teamwork between us, the 9-1-1 Heartland Fire Dispatch Center, the water utility company, and the Cities of El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove.”
This rating is also good news for homeowners in El Cajon, La Mesa and Lemon Grove. Residents could start saving money on fire insurance premium rates once this rating goes into effect on September 1, 2015.
Sitta added, “This rating demonstrates to the citizens we serve that their Fire Department is able to provide the highest level of fire suppression and community risk reduction for protection in our communities, and according to ISO, may also save our citizens some money on insurance premiums.”
Chief Sitta and a representative from ISO proudly announced the new Class 1 rating during a special presentation to the City Councils of El Cajon and La Mesa at their June 9, 2015, meetings. It will also be presented to the Lemon Grove City Council at their meeting on June 16, 2015.
“We have an agency full of proud firefighters who are dedicated to providing the best Fire and Emergency Medical services to their communities. This Class 1 recognition is a badge of honor that they worked hard to achieve and they will undoubtedly strive to maintain the Class 1 rating for years to come,” Chief Sitta stated.