The Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce that during a recent survey conducted by the ISO (Insurance Services Office), our 911 Dispatch Center rating score improved from 6.49 to 7.68 out of 10. The ISO fire score is a rating that determines how well your local fire department can protect your community and home. Insurance companies use the score to help set home insurance rates, as a home that is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire is less expensive to insure. According to the ISO’s Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), there are four main criteria to a fire rating score:
- 50% comes from the quality of your local fire department including staffing levels, training and proximity of the firehouse.
- 40% comes from availability of water supply, including the prevalence of fire hydrants and how much water is available for putting out fires.
- 10% comes from the quality of the area’s emergency communications systems (911).
- An extra 5.5% comes from community outreach, including fire prevention and safety courses.
- Any area that is more than 5 driving miles from the nearest fire station is automatically rated a 10.
Sheriff Paden states “The ISO rating is a sure sign that the updates we are making to the dispatch center is having an effect on the overall safety of Guernsey County Citizens. This is all in part due to the passing of the 911 Levy. We will never stop making strides to improve our 911 Communications System.”
