Fire department achieves highest rating in 18 years

Good news for Birmingham residents and business owners: The city’s fire department has earned a Class 2 rating after a 5-year review by the Insurance Services Office — up from a Class 3 rating over the past 18 years.

ISO ratings range from 1 to 10, with 1 at the top. At Class 2, the Birmingham Fire Department is now among the top 1.5 percent of fire departments in Michigan.

A high rating can be considered from a safety perspective as well as a potential monetary benefit since insurance agencies typically use the ISO rating to set coverage rates for residences and commercial buildings. The new rating could possibly mean lower rates, so those who own homes or businesses are encouraged to contact their insurance carriers to find out.

“I am extremely proud of the department’s dedicated personnel who put in the hard work that is required to achieve the training and preparedness scores on this review,” Birmingham Fire Chief Paul Wells stated in a news release. “I would also like to thank the residents, city staff, and commissioners for the support to help grow the department and provide the equipment necessary to meet our department goals.”

The ISO uses a Fire Suppression Rating Schedule to assess the department’s fire prevention and fire suppression capabilities, based on emergency communications, fire department operations and water supply. It also includes a Community Risk Reduction section to consider efforts for reducing losses through fire prevention, public fire safety education and fire investigation.

The Birmingham Fire Department includes two fully-staffed Advanced Life Support stations and reportedly has an average emergency call response time of three minutes which, according to fire department officials, is the quickest response time in Michigan.