Richmond’s fire department, along with Henrico County’s, ranks among the top 1 percent in the nation, according to the company that assesses nearly 45,000 public fire protection districts.
The city earned a Class 1 fire suppression rating from the Insurance Services Office, a subsidiary of data analytics and risk assessment firm Verisk Analytics. Class 1 is the highest rating on the scale with 10 being the lowest, according to the company. Henrico’s fire department is also rated Class 1; Chesterfield is Class 2; and Hanover rose from Class 5 to Class 3 this year.
“It’s a big win for the city,” Richmond Fire Chief Melvin Carter said. “More than anything, this rating demonstrates reliability.”