Tempe Fire Medical Rescue is now rated among the top 1 percent of all fire departments in the country, confirming that Tempe residents and businesses receive some of the best fire protection in the nation and that they could enjoy lower insurance rates as a result. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating is a nationally recognized review of a fire department’s capabilities. The purpose of an ISO public protection survey is to gather information to determine a Public Protection Classification (PPC), which insurers use for underwriting and to calculate premiums for fire insurance. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue’s recent upgrade from a Class 2 rating to a Class 1 rating reflects on the quality of department operations, emergency dispatch and the water distribution system supplied by Tempe’s Municipal Utilities Department.