Insurance Services Office (ISO), Verisk
Also known as: ISO
A private company, part of Verisk, that grades the fire protection of communities in most of the United States, including Oregon, for insurance companies. Its Public Protection Classification (PPC) runs from Class 1, the best, to Class 10, which means the area's fire protection does not meet ISO's minimum criteria.
For fire departments and firefighters
- Surveys the fire department, the water supply, 9-1-1 dispatch and community risk reduction with its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, and sets a class from 1 to 10. The survey is free to the community.
- Reviews a community's class and the changes that could improve it, free, when an authorized official asks in writing.
- Gives fire chiefs a free copy of the rating schedule and free access to Mitigate, its online dashboard of scores, maps and updates.
- Asks departments to call before any large purchase, to check how it would affect the class.
Services
- How the PPC program works: How ISO grades fire protection from 1 to 10, and what goes into the grade.
- Items considered in the rating schedule: The points for each item ISO scores, from dispatch to staffing, training and hydrants.
- Technical rules: ISO's rules on training hours, automatic aid, tender and dry hydrant water supply, apparatus and dispatch.
- Mitigate: Free online dashboard of a community's scores, with maps and updates, for fire departments and officials.
- Request a PPC review: A free review of your class and the changes that could improve it, on written request.
For community members
- Most home and business insurers use the class as one factor in property insurance prices. ISO does not give classes to the public, so ask your insurance company or agent which class your home has.
Services
- How the PPC program works: How ISO grades fire protection from 1 to 10, and what goes into the grade.
- PPC questions for residents: How insurers use the class, and why residents ask their insurance company or agent for it.
- Split classes and Class 10W: What classes like 4/4X, 4/4Y and 10W mean for homes far from a fire station or hydrant.
About ISO
Founded: 1971 · Type: For-profit subsidiary of Verisk Analytics, a public company (Nasdaq VRSK)
How it is funded: Paid by insurers, not by communities. Insurers buy Verisk's data, including fire protection classes, mostly by subscription.
Contact
Insurance Services Office (ISO), Verisk
Community Hazard Mitigation Division
1000 Bishops Gate Blvd, Suite 300
Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone: 1-800-444-4554, option 2
Email: [email protected]
In an emergency, call 911.
From isomitigation.com, verisk.com, sec.gov. Last checked November 1, 2026. See something out of date? Let us know.