The City of Norman is proud to announce that its Fire Department has received a Class 1 Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). ISO ratings assess local fire departments' readiness by classifying a community's ability to suppress a fire.

An ISO fire score rating is determined based on how well a local fire department can protect their community. Some Insurance companies use the score to help set property insurance rates, as a home or business that is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire costs less to insure. The Class 1 rating, which is the highest possible rating, validates that the City of Norman Fire Department provides residents, visitors, and businesses with industry-leading fire protection services.

"I'm incredibly proud of our Fire Department for joining this elite group of fire departments in the U.S.," said City Manager Darrel Pyle. "Our firefighters and city staff work tirelessly to keep our residents, businesses, and visitors safe."

This accomplishment was a team effort that included the City of Norman Fire Department, Dispatch Center, Public Works Department, and Utilities Department, and with community support through Public Safety Sales Tax funding for fire equipment and apparatus.

"The Norman Fire Department staff has worked tirelessly over the last four years on this project, which was made possible by the Public Safety Sales Tax. Our apparatus replacement program over the last three years made a big impact in this audit. It is truly incredible that we were able to significantly better our rating without adding any new fire stations since the last audit, and I believe this is one of the biggest accomplishments in NFD history," said Fire Chief Travis King. "We are hopeful this will have a substantial positive impact on insurance rates for the residents and business owners of Norman. I want to thank the Council and the Community for supporting the PSST. City Manager Pyle supported our efforts and was a big help getting us across the finish line.  PSST is not just a tax. It's an investment that will be paying dividends to the community."

ISO is an independent organization that evaluates fire-protection efforts in communities across the country. The organization 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. Fire services are ranked between 1 and 10.

The Class 1 ISO rating will rank the City of Norman Fire Department as one of only 388 Fire Departments in the U.S. that are both accredited and have an ISO Class 1 rating.