IAFC President Jack Parow (right) and ISO National Director of Community Hazard Mitigation Butch Cobb aboard the Jersey City fireboat Lovero, observing the New York/New Jersey harbor and discussing the potential problems associated with battling fires in high-rise buildings and dealing with terrorism threats in the area.
ISO recently welcomed Jack Parow, president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), to ISO headquarters in Jersey City, N.J. During meetings with key ISO community hazard mitigation executives, topics discussed included fire suppression, mitigation, and prevention; code administration and enforcement; and how attention to those areas can lead to lower property losses.
The group talked about some important ISO initiatives:
- national fire station project and community outreach — ISO field representatives have conducted field surveys of all fire stations in the United States, creating the most comprehensive database of fire stations in the country. Surveys used rooftop placement — the highest level of geocoding accuracy — to get the most precise placement of stations.
- IAFC/ISO activities — including joint presentations, webinars, and website links.
Finally, ISO gave an update on our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) revision project. ISO is revising the FSRS — a manual containing the criteria ISO uses in reviewing the firefighting capabilities of individual communities — and is currently conducting beta testing across the country.
Parow commented on ISO’s valuable role in community fire protection.
“I continue to be impressed by the willingness of ISO to reach out to fire and emergency service community leaders," said Parow." The many changes in our communities, our departments, government, and industry raise many challenges for public safety. Our success in meeting those challenges will be closely tied to our ability to build a common understanding of the issues and create solutions collaboratively.”