AL Fire Department Earns Top ISO Rating

Nov. 27 -- The Mobile Fire Rescue Department has achieved a top-tier ISO 1 rating, an accomplishment that city leaders say will contribute directly to improved public safety.

"We think this is a first in the history of the city," said Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who'd championed the drive by Fire Chief Mark Sealy to reach the rating. "The benefit really accrues to our citizens. What that means is that the service that you will get from Mobile Fire Rescue, you can be assured that the men and women are better trained, they're better equipped and their response time will be better."

ISO Mitigation describes itself as a advisory organization that is "a leading source of information about property/casualty risk." It says its Public Protection Classification system, which ranges from 1 to 10, is a way of measuring "a community's investment in fire mitigation" and is a "proven and reliable predicator of future fire losses."

The ISO 1 rating is rare. According to ISO's website, only 11 departments in Alabama have earned it; less than 150 have ISO 2 or 3 ratings, while more than 1,000 fall in the ISO 4-6 range. Montgomery also has an ISO 1 rating, and Stimpson said that when Montgomery Fire Chief Miford Jordan served on the search committee that recommended Sealy, he sparked Mobile leaders' interest in earning it.

Sealy, who became chief in spring 2017, said that it had taken a department-wide effort to achieve the rating. It included inspecting 11,000 businesses and 14,000 hydrants, testing 19 miles of fire hose, stepping up fire-prevention outreach efforts and documenting 90,000 hours of training, among other things.

"They did that because they care about our citizens," Sealy said. He went on to say he saw it as just a first step in improving the department.

Stimpson likewise said other city departments had played a critical role in supporting the effort, as had the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System.

A ceremony announcing the accomplishment was held Tuesday morning at the new Crichton Fire Station. City Councilman Fred Richardson celebrated the council's role in approving funding for the new facility and other improvements, and enthusiastically praised Stimpson for fulfilling his promise to improve public safety.

"It's like joining a family around the country that's very limited," said ISO Manager Michael Morash.

Later in the day, Stimpson told the City Council that the MFRD had earned a score of 91.3, with a 90 needed to earn ISO 1. An effort would be required to maintain or improve the score: "It's not just given to you and you forget about it," he said.

Stimpson told the council that he wasn’t sure when or how insurance companies would respond, but said he was confident the higher rating would make the city more appealing to businesses considering it as a new location.

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