The Gassville Fire Department has been awarded a Class 2 rating by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), the city announced Friday afternoon. The new rating is an improvement over the department’s current Class 4 rating and will go into effect on April 1.
The ISO evaluates communities on their ability to fight structure fires and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from 1 to 10 to each community. A Class 1 rating represents an exemplary fire suppression program, while a Class 10 rating indicates that an area’s fire suppression does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
Insurance companies use PPC ratings in calculating premiums for commercial and residential fire insurance policies. In general, the price of a fire insurance in a community with a good PPC rating is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC grade.
“Honestly, we were expecting a 3 rating,” Gassville Mayor Jeff Braim said. “We’re ecstatic to receive a 2. It’s a major milestone for the city.”