FDNY, ISO Public Protection Classification

[Steve 78]

Can anybody advise me what the ISO classification is for the City of NY?

[ny10570 745]

FDNY I believe is a 4.

[Bnechis 3,961]

FDNY I believe is a 4.

That is correct.

FDNY is the only department in the country that ISO rates based on actual fire damage. Everyone else is rated on their potential to minimize damage.

NYC's fire damage rate is very consistant, even if you look at 2001 there is almost no difference in the annual property loss in $$$$. THis is because of the total number of fires citywide. Also FDNY is very agressive at firefighting, but that often means more water damage and other damage to the structure, particularlry when there is minimal salvage work being performed. This is howFDNY prevents full blocks from going, but the insurance industry looks at the total dollar loss not just fire loss.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Wow a 4...I did not know that, very interesting how they rate the city. Makes you wonder why the Fire Patrol was cutout, you would think if they were graded like that, a dedicated salvage unit like the Patrol would have been kept in service or even increased.

[Bnechis 3,961]

Wow a 4...I did not know that, very interesting how they rate the city. Makes you wonder why the Fire Patrol was cutout, you would think if they were graded like that, a dedicated salvage unit like the Patrol would have been kept in service or even increased.

While I am sure the fire patrol saved much more property than it cost to run them, I suspect the reason they were cut is the insurance companies that were paying for them might not have been the ones who saved the money. It is also highly possible that some pencil pusher in the insurance industry saw it as a way to save money, without knowing what the real costs are.

A number of years ago I was working with an industrial fire department, that a senior manager figuered he could eliminate and save $1.4m/year, so they were eliminated. Within 3 days their insurance underwriter raised their rates by almost $3m/yr. All FD employees were rehired.