Bloomington Fire Department received a new and improved score from the latest Public Protection Classification from the Insurance Service Office, an insurance analytics company.
The city received a score of ISO Class 2/2x rating. The score marks Bloomington one of 11 in the state with the class two rating, according to a city release.
This places Bloomington in the top 1 percent of the 1,593 Indiana communities with a fire department.
Mayor John Hamilton said in the release the department has improved its attentiveness to firefighter health and fitness, including implementing uniform standards to enhance their safety.
"Through Chief Moore's leadership, the City has been able to quantify and qualify new BFD systems and standards," Hamilton said in the release.
The new rating, officially in effect as of Nov. 1, correlates to a possible decrease in annual insurance premiums for residential and commercial property owners in Bloomington's service area, according to the release.
The review by the ISO focuses on emergency communications, the amount of water necessary to suppress a fire, and the fire department itself. This includes staffing, equipment, distribution throughout the area of fire companies and overall community risk reduction.
BFD improved in emergency reporting, training, inspection and community risk reduction, according to the release. The highest ISO rating is 1, which the release said no community in Indiana has received.
Katelyn Haas
