Penn Valley, CA — As homeowners throughout California grapple with increasing fire risk and corresponding insurance rates, Penn Valley Fire Protection District (PVFPD) has earned an improved ISO rating.

Every five years ISO evaluates agencies on their ability to protect their community. This past winter PVFPD went through the process, and this is the ISO evaluation and ranking for the next five years:

Public Protection Classification: 03/3Y

Effective Date: June 01, 2023

Newly released findings show an upgrade in rating within the PVFPD 92 square mile district. ISO ratings can have a direct impact on the amount Penn Valley residents pay for homeowners insurance.

Fire Chief Don Wagner explains that ratings are based on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. A 10 would occur if you were to reside in an area not covered by an organized fire district/department. “We have previously received a 4 in the area with hydrants and 4Y in areas without fire hydrants. In this rating we have improved to a 3 in the areas with hydrants and 3Y in the areas without hydrants.”

“I’m proud to have received this letter from ISO confirming that the response provided by our dedicated staff is quite high,” says PVFPD Board Chair Bruce Stephenson. “As our call volume continues to increase we recognize response times may become more challenging, but for now we’re looking really good. I’m grateful to each and every employee for their commitment to keeping Penn Valley residents safe in times of emergency.”

According to the Introduction page of their full report “The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) collects and evaluates information from communities in the United States on their structure fire suppression capabilities. The data is analyzed using our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) and then a Public Protection Classification (PPC˝) grade is assigned to the community. The surveys are conducted whenever it appears that there is a possibility of a PPC change. As such, the PPC program provides important, up-to-date information about fire protection services throughout the country.”

In other words, the ISO ranks fire agencies based on their response to structure fires and reports their findings to insurance companies.