Happenings in Community Hazard Mitigation
Pictured left to right at the President’s Forum are Ray Bizal, National Fire Protection Association regional director; Mark Light, IAFC chief executive officer and executive director; Butch Cobb, ISO’s national director, Community Hazard Mitigation; and Al Gillespie, IAFC president.
ISO participated in the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) President’s Forum in Seattle, Washington, March 22 to 24, 2012. Butch Cobb, ISO’s national director, Community Hazard Mitigation, met with executive officers of the 11 western states and territories to discuss common issues and to work together toward better communication and coordination among the western states, the WFCA, and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
Some of the key state-specific issues addressed included sprinkler legislation, firefighter safety and training, emergency services, and fireworks legislation.
Cobb presented an overview of ISO’s Public Protection Classification (PPC®) program and the value it brings to communities. “The program provides a direct and visible incentive for communities to maintain or improve the quality of their fire protection,” says Cobb. “Fire protection improvements can effectively lower insurance premiums.” Cobb also discussed how insurers use ISO’s advisory rating, classification, and other underwriting information. “We provide data and analytics to virtually all property/casualty insurers in many formats, including GIS-based decision tools to predict risk. Nine of the top ten insurers use ISO information,” Cobb says.
Cobb also gave attendees an overview and an update on the latest proposals we’re considering for our revised Fire Suppression Rating Schedule.