Mentor Fire Department ISO Rating Improves to Class 2

The Mentor Fire Department has been put in rare company. It has achieved an Insurance Service Office (ISO) fire protection rating of Class 2, moving up from its previous Class 3 rating.

Of nearly 49,000 fire departments audited nationwide, approximately two percent achieve a rating higher than ISO Class 3 according to a release on the city’s website. This new rating came from a recent Public Protection Classification audit.

ISO is a national insurance industry risk rating service that rates communities on a scale of 1 to 10. Those with the most effective fire defense system receive a 1, while those with a 10 are considered the least effective from an insurance analysis perspective.

These types of ratings are important because insurers use them to help decide which businesses to write coverage to or what prices to charge for insurance. Mentor Fire Chief Robert Searles expressed excitement for this rare accomplishment his department achieved.

“I am very proud of our fire department and the news of the upgrade in our ISO classification,” Searles said in the release. “Moving forward, we want to continue to deliver the high level of service the community expects and make an even greater impact on community risk reduction through increased fire prevention efforts as well as providing fire and life safety education to our public.”