Insurance Rates to Drop with Oklahoma City Fire Department’s Top Rating

Thousands of Oklahoma City homeowners will save money on their property insurance after the Oklahoma City Fire Department received the top fire protection rating, the Oklahoma Insurance Department reported.

The Class 1/4 rating goes into effect June 1.

The Insurance Services Office’s (ISO) Public Classification program (PPC) analyzes the quality of fire protection in communities around the country. Fire departments are rated on a scale of one to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection. Many insurance companies use these classifications to help calculate premiums. Factors that go into the evaluation include equipment, staffing, training, water supply, fire investigation efforts and emergency communications.

After an extensive review, the Oklahoma City Fire Department improved from a Class 3/5 to a Class 1/4. The first number applies to properties within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant. The second number applies to properties over 1,000 feet from a water source.

The new classification comes after the recognition of the department’s community risk reduction efforts which included fire prevention, code enforcement, public education and arson investigation. The completion of a new fire station and increased firefighter training were also factors in the improved rating. Of the approximately 48,000 U.S. fire departments with PPC classifications, only 245, or 0.5 percent are rated Class 1.

Source: The Oklahoma Insurance Department