City earns Class 1 fire rating, meaning cheaper home insurance

Lubbock Fire Rescue on Tuesday announced that Lubbock earned a Class 1 Public Protection Classification.  

“The Class 1 rating will become effective on December 1, 2018 and can ultimately mean lower residential and commercial property insurance rates for the citizens of Lubbock,” an official statement said.  

The rating comes from the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and the city described it as “highly coveted.” 

“There are 300 cities rated Class 1 out of the over 48,000 cities rated in the United States,” Lubbock Fire Rescue’s statement said. 

The full statement is as follows: 

The City of Lubbock and Lubbock Fire Rescue have earned a Class 1 Public Protection Classification (PPC) from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The highly coveted Class 1 ISO rating means that the City of Lubbock is in the top 1% of all cities classified by the Insurance Services Office. There are 300 cities rated Class 1 out of the over 48,000 cities rated in the United States.

A city’s Public Protection Classification depends on its emergency communication system including the staffing, training and certification of dispatchers and dispatching facilities. The fire department’s suppression capabilities including firefighter staffing, training, fire apparatus and equipment and the geographic location of fire stations and the apparatus response times to incidents. The water supply system including the capabilities of the water supply system, proper installation, location and maintenance of fire hydrants. The community risk reduction programs including fire prevention codes and enforcement, public fire safety education and fire investigation programs.

The Class 1 rating will become effective on December 1, 2018 and can ultimately mean lower residential and commercial property insurance rates for the citizens of Lubbock. Homeowners and commercial property policy holders are encouraged to confirm with their insurance companies that any new policies or policy renewals after the effective date are written on the new classification as rates and premiums could see a reduction. Most U.S. insurers use the PPC information to determine insurance premium costs.

Lubbock Fire Rescue and the City of Lubbock Water Department have worked very diligently for the last 10 years to achieve this rating. Achieving the Class 1 rating is a testament to the past and current City Councils, City of Lubbock Administration, and the citizens of Lubbock for their support of Public Safety, Lubbock Fire Rescue and Public Works infrastructure projects. Lubbock Fire Rescue would like to thank the citizens of Lubbock for their investment in public safety.