What's Happening in Champaign, IL…

The Champaign Fire Department has won the Insurance Service Office's (ISO) highest rating, winning a Class 1 ranking that makes it one of the top departments in the country.

The ISO has evaluated 48,632 fire departments across the country, and only 5 in Illinois and 179 in the nation have been given a Class 1 designation. This puts Champaign in the top 0.37%.

Based in New Jersey, the ISO is an independent risk-assessment organization. It collects information on communities throughout the country, and then rates four categories—the water supply, emergency communications, community risk reduction, and the fire department. The ISO rates the department or measure from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest possible mark, and 10 meaning the program, department, or community fails to meet even the minimum ISO standards.

The high rating can impact Champaign residents in a good way, since some insurance companies take the mark into consideration when setting rates. When the fire protection is rated as being excellent, companies may reduce their rates.

Fire Chief Gary Ludwig said the rating validates what he has always known—that Champaign has a great fire department that provides outstanding service to the city. He believes residents are able to trust that the department will handle any emergency that arises expediently.

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