By the Numbers

Verisk and ISO track and regularly update key numbers of interest to insurers, community officials, and the fire service. Here are a few national stats we know you’ll find interesting:

52,080 recognized fire stations (24x7x365 first-alarm response)
1,496 unrecognized fire stations
10,107 recognized fire stations that provide automatic aid
47,606 fire protection areas
1,154 subscription-based fire protection areas
9 number of the top 10 homeowners insurers that license the LOCATION® database
12,000 approximate number of fire protection areas that ISO contacts each year through our Community Outreach Program to get up-to-date information about changes in fire protection services
20,000 approximate number of annual geographic updates (such as fire station locations, fire hydrant locations, and fire district boundaries) in the LOCATION PPC® GIS files
65 fire protection areas with Class 1 PPC
1,951 fire protection areas with Class 10 PPC
92% percentage of buildings for which the LOCATION PPC Service has data on hydrants and other water sources
32,292 unique water supply systems mapped in the LOCATION PPC GIS files
5,991,010 individual hydrants and other static water supply points; ISO is the only known organization with a national fire hydrant GIS database

 

ISO PPC distribution in the United States
The map depicts area classifications in general. White denotes unprotected areas outside the legal jurisdiction of any fire district. The classification for any individual property may be different than indicated based on its distance from a recognized fire station and/or water supply. Lower PPC numbers indicate greater fire suppression capability. ISO statistics show that those communities have lower fire losses — and that’s good news for property insurers.

 

Known unrecognized fire stations in the United States
ISO has mapped 1,496 fire stations in the United States that lack minimum response capabilities for structure fires. Those stations are insufficient to receive credit in our PPC gradings.

Have a suggestion?

We welcome your feedback.
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.

Other Verisk websites