PRESS RELEASE

City of Woodland Fire Department
 1000 Lincoln Ave.
Woodland, CA 95695
Phone: 530-661-5860
 Fax: 530-662-5781

The City of Woodland Fire Department is pleased to share that the Insurance Services Office, Inc. Public Protection Classification (ISO-PPC) rating for the city was changed from a three to a two; an improvement of one rating class. This is an achievement that only 5% of all communities in the United States can claim.

ISO is a private firm that provides information to insurance companies regarding property/ casualty risk through a number of programs, one of them being the PPC Program. The PPC reviews the fire department, water department and dispatch/communication center capabilities.

Historically, communities across the country strive to achieve "best in class", which is generally considered a one rating. In 2021, only 388 fire departments across the country achieved a one. The City's rating of a two, with a score that is less than 3 points away from a class one, makes it one of only 1729 fire departments to hold this high rating across the United States.

Studies have shown that the results of a change in the PPC Rating from a three to a two will likely have up to a 1-2% reduction in insurance premium costs for structures in the affected areas, although this is dependent on each individual insurance company. Statistical data also demonstrates that the cost of fire insurance claims per $1,000 of insured property is reflective of a communities' Public Protection Classification Rating, thus clearly demonstrating that communities with better ratings experience lower fire insurance rates and fire insurance claims per $1,000 of insured property. In addition to the PPC score, the Woodland Fire Department was also provided a class one crop insurance rating, which may help our farmers in the unincorporated area around Woodland.

“The Class Two rating improvement shows that we have an excellent working relationship with our “partners” - our surrounding fire departments and our communication dispatch center”, stated Eric Zane, Fire Chief for the City of Woodland. This is a great benefit to our City. Zane continued, “It is also important to note that the investment our community has made in our water distribution system over the past several years is a significant contributing factor to the better rating, as firefighters have a more robust water supply to fight fires with.”  “I would like to thank the Woodland Fire Department and Public Works staff, as well as our services partners for their contributions to making Woodland a safe place to work and live; this achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and professionalism of these agencies”, stated City Manager Ken Hiatt.