Fire Department Receives High Safety Rating

MOUNT VERNON, June 9, 2022 – The City of Mount Vernon’s Fire Department is among the top
15 percent of fire departments in the country when it comes to fire suppression capabilities,
according to new ratings from Insurance Services Office, Inc.
In addition to making the City’s residents feel safer, the higher rating can translate into more
affordable property insurance for them as well.
“A lot went into achieving this newest rating. It was a team effort put forth by not only the
firefighters/department, but City Council members and the administration as well,” said Mount
Vernon Fire Chief Chad Christopher.
“Over the last five years we have purchased a new ladder truck, upgraded our equipment and
improved our training. Those efforts combined with those of the Knox County Dispatch Center, as
well as the water distribution system, made a big impact on improving our rating. We are already
looking ahead at how we can maintain, if not improve the rating over the next five years.”
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) evaluates and classifies more than 39,000 fire protection
areas across the country, analyzing how each district performs on water supply, emergency
communications, needed fire flows and the equipment, staffing and training of fire departments,
among other factors. Each department is then assigned a Public Protection Classification (PPC)
grade.

The Mount Vernon Fire Department’s
latest ISO-issued PPC is 03/3Y, making it
one of just 3,583 Class 3 fire departments
in the U.S. A Class 3 designation is more
typically found in larger metropolitan
areas, such as Columbus or Cincinnati.
“I applaud the efforts of Chief Christopher,
the Mount Vernon Fire Department,
Mount Vernon Public Utilities Department
and the Knox County 9-1-1 Center for
continually improving the quality of our
emergency services,” said Mount Vernon
Safety-Service Director Rick Dzik. “This
will directly translate into savings for our

residents in exchange for their continued investment in City services.”
According to the ISO, a community’s investment in fire mitigation measures can be a reliable
indicator of future fire losses. Statistical data on insurance losses routinely reflects the relationship
between effective fire protection, such as that measured by the PPC ratings, and low fire losses.
Consequently, scores of insurance providers utilize PPC ratings to help set their premiums for
homeowners and businesses. Typically, fire insurance costs in a community with a highly rated fire
The Mount Vernon Fire Department has a Class 3 classification from the
ISO, ranking it among the top 15 percent nationwide in fire suppression
ratings. Graphic courtesy of ISO, Inc.

department under the ISO classification are markedly lower than in a community with a poor PPC
grade.
“These excellent marks for the Mount Vernon Fire Department are a textbook example of the
residents’ tax dollars being put to good use,” said Mount Vernon Mayor Matt Starr. “First and
foremost, of course, our Fire Department’s top-of-the-line practices and procedures help us feel
secure in our homes and businesses. If residents can also save money on their insurance as a
result, that’s just icing on the cake.”
ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments,
insurance regulators and others by providing information about risk. For more information about its
Public Protection Classification Summary Report on the Mount Vernon Fire Department, contact
Safety-Service Director Dzik at 740-393-9520.