FLOYDS KNOBS, IN – Fire Chief Jeremy Klein announced today that communities served by Lafayette Township Fire Protection District – including Lafayette and Greenville Townships, as well as the incorporated town of Greenville and the unincorporated towns of Galena and Floyds Knobs – will receive the results of the agency’s latest Public Protection Classification (PPC) evaluation from the Insurance Services Office, IN (ISO).
Chief Klein proudly revealed that the entire service area for Lafayette Township Fire Protection District has received an upgraded score to an ISO Class 4 for all structures within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant (Protected Area) and has received an upgraded score to an ISO Class 6 for all other areas (Fire Department Supply Area). The Fire Department Supply (FDS) areas are where structures are not within 1000 feet of a hydrant, and the fire department must supply water or shuttle water to the scene. This new rating may result in a decrease in annual insurance premiums within the Lafayette Township Fire Protection District service area mentioned above.
Residential and commercial property owners within Lafayette and Greenville Township are encouraged to contact their insurance providers to inquire if the improved classification rating will impact their premiums once this takes effect. The new ISO Class 4 & 6 rating— which includes the entire Lafayette Township Fire Protection District service area—will go into effect on November 1, 2023.
According to Fire Chief Jeremy Klein, “This improved ISO rating is yet another reflection of Lafayette Township Fire Protection District’s commitment to providing the highest quality public safety services to the citizens of our community. This improved rating would not be possible without the dedicated members of the Lafayette Township Fire Protection District who perform outstanding work each and every day.”
Lafayette Township Fire Protection District is now one of only 138 communities in the state of Indiana to achieve a Class 4 rating and only 3,583 nationwide.
The ISO rates more than 29,000 fire departments nationwide with over 52,000 fire stations. ISO collects information on communities and analyzes the data using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule.
This Fire Suppression Rating Schedule evaluates four primary categories of fire suppression – fire department, emergency communications, water supply, and community risk reduction. Class 1 generally represents superior fire protection, and class 10 indicates that the area’s fire suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum standards. ISO’s Public Protection Classification can be important in an insurer’s decision when underwriting property insurance.
The new ISO PPC for Lafayette Township Fire Protection District will be effective November 1, 2023.
This improved rating is the result of the first ISO review since the Lafayette Township Fire Protection District was contracted for fire and emergency services back in 2021 for Greenville Township, which includes the Town of Greenville.
Chief Klein stated, “This improved ISO rating serves as yet another example of the benefits achieved by combining the two areas regarding fire protection into one area. The unification of value-added programs, one goal, one vision, and one fire protection plan in place today would not have been possible without the unification of this.”
The assessment for the fire department component, which accounts for half of the overall rating, was improved significantly, especially the Fire Department Supply areas, which are further than 1000 feet of a fire hydrant since the last review in 2017. Chief Klein credits the fire department’s planning efforts as a significant contributor used to identify, document, and track areas that need improvements.
