WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – It’s described as a massive achievement for the Watertown Fire Department – ISO Class 1. That stands for Insurance Services Office, and it essentially rates the fire preparedness of a given department.
It’s also a title held by fewer than 1 percent of fire departments nationwide.
“To get that class one rating, that’s a great feeling. It’s kind of a vindication of the hard work we’re doing here,” said Watertown Fire Chief Matt Timerman.
Departments are rated on a scale from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best. They’re scored on things like staffing levels, firehouse quality, and the water supply.
Chief Timerman says the high rating comes with added scrutiny.
“We’ll need to continue to do the hard work to stay where we are,” he said.
But the department didn’t do it alone. Timerman credits groups like the city’s water department and code enforcement for helping his department achieve class one.
City Manager Ken Mix says Watertown residents may benefit from the classification.
“Hopefully it will help save some of their insurance premiums. Most important, it also shows that we have a highly effective firefighting system,” he said.
Although it hit Class 1, Timerman says the department has no plans to stop improving.
“We can use that as a measurement of how we’re doing. So if we improve our score, it’s not just about improving that score. It’s about improving the score and in the process providing a better service for our community,” he said.
Commemorating the achievement, a ceremony will be held next Tuesday. The department will adorn its vehicles with ISO Class 1 stickers.
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