Winter 2013

Winter 2013
Welcome to Community Fire Protection News...

Welcome to Community Fire Protection News, our online newsletter for fire chiefs and insurers. We provide concise and topical fire protection information, relevant community mitigation and insurance news, and more.

We’re excited to introduce you to our first expanded issue of CFP News — now published jointly by ISO (a member of the Verisk Analytics Family of Companies) and Verisk Insurance Solutions. ISO continues to focus on its core expertise in community mitigation — providing services, programs, and knowledge in all matters related to fire protection, building codes, and flood. In 2010, Verisk Analytics introduced the Verisk Insurance Solutions umbrella brand, which includes ISO. Verisk Insurance Solutions highlights the company’s comprehensive set of products and services for the property/casualty insurance marketplace. Together, ISO and Verisk offer high-quality data, leading-edge analytics, and unparalleled decision support capabilities.

In this issue, don’t miss our lead story on the newly revised version of ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule — a major revision that reflects current trends in fire prevention and protection. Take a look at the progress of a Department of Homeland Security study on high-rise safety, resource deployment, and building design. And don’t miss our first-ever “You Make the Call” video, which shows an actual wildfire in progress and the resulting property destruction. Take note of our “Insurers’ Report” column, where we explain why identifying the nearest fire station is insufficient to meet the needs of property insurers. We think insurers and fire officials will be surprised at the statistics we track and update regularly in “By the Numbers.”

In the battle against property loss, fire department officials around the country can be confident that ISO is an objective source for information and technical support, and insurers can rest assured that Verisk will provide them with the services and tools they need to remain competitive.

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Robert “Butch” Cobb
National Director, Community Hazard Mitigation
Deputy Chief, Jersey City, N.J. (Retired)

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William M. Raichle
President, Verisk Insurance Solutions – Commercial Property

ISO's Fire Suppression Rating Schedule: Reinvented and Revised

January 10, 2013

Fire remains one of the leading causes of property loss. A community’s efforts to mitigate those losses before, during, or after a fire are of great importance to insurers.

Farmers Insurance and ISO Team up at Fire-Rescue International 2012 and the Wildfire Prevention Regional Conference

January 9, 2013

ISO evaluates the effectiveness and enforcement of building codes in more than 21,000 individual communities nationwide representing 87 percent of the U.S. population.

Western Fire Chiefs Association: Butch Cobb Presented with President's Award

January 8, 2013

ISO participated in the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) 2012 annual business meeting at Fire-Rescue International in Denver in August 2012.

High-Rise Buildings: Can You Minimize the Spread of Fire?

January 7, 2013

Can you minimize the spread of fire in high-rise buildings?

By the Numbers

January 5, 2013

Verisk and ISO track and regularly update key numbers of interest to insurers, community officials, and the fire service.

On the Job: Anthony Zampella

January 4, 2013

Before joining ISO in 2001, Anthony Zampella served with the North Plainfield, New Jersey, Fire Department for 25 years and retired as deputy fire chief in charge of all fire and EMS operations.

Insurers' Report

January 3, 2013

In the Insurers’ Report column, we’ll be discussing some common questions we get from insurers.

You Make the Call: New Challenge

January 2, 2013

You face challenging fires all the time. You’ve received training to assess different types of fires and determine the best firefighting approach.

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If you have questions or would like to suggest a topic, call us at 1-800-444-4554, option 2.

ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule

Our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is free to chiefs and other fire officials. It's a manual containing the criteria Verisk uses in reviewing the fire prevention and fire suppression capabilities of individual communities or fire protection areas. To recieve a copy of the FSRS, contact our National Processing Center at 1-800-444-4554 and select Option 2.

H2O and Verisk

Water supply and distribution systems are important factors in determining a community’s ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC®). We provide complimentary educational training and seminars to water providers and associations throughout the country. Contact Hugh Gibson, national water resources manager, at hugh.gibson@verisk.com for more information.

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