HILLSBOROUGH FIRE DISTRICT RATED IN TOP 5% OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS ACROSS NEW JERSEY.
Improved ISO rating reflects improvements in equipment, training and staffing.
The Hillsborough Fire District’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating has improved from a Class 5/5Y to Class 2/2Y. The final audit report was recently received from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics. ISO analyzes data through The Public Protection Classification (PPC®) Program “To help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties”. This program provides timely, reliable data about a community’s fire-protection services to insurance companies.
The PPC measures a community’s fire suppression capabilities and assigns a numerical grade. The rating provides a benchmark to help fire departments and other public officials measure the effectiveness of their efforts and plan for improvements. Scores range from 1 to 10, with the lower score being the best service rating.
Only 31 fire departments in the state of New Jersey have achieved an ISO Class 2 rating, and only three achieved the top rating. This distinction places Hillsborough’s fire services in the top five percent for the state.
Residents and businesses benefit from this improved classification. An improved ISO rating may result in lowered premiums for home, property, and commercial building insurance, because a home or business that is less likely to be severely damaged or destroyed by fire costs less to insure. Insurance rates also vary based on the distance a structure is within a fire station and a fire hydrant.
According to Fire Chief Christopher Weniger, “The vision, hard work and dedication of our Board of Fire Commissioners, volunteers, and career staff improve our services to the residents of Hillsborough through an effective, successful combination fire department. Some of the factors attributed to the improved ISO rating include: additional career staffing, improved documentation and record keeping, diligent code enforcement, equipment improvements, and additional training. This is a tremendous accolade for the Hillsborough Fire District personnel who work so hard to keep our residents and visitors safe”.
The Hillsborough Fire District is protected by volunteer fire companies: Fire Company 1 in Flagtown, Fire Company 2 on Route 206 and Fire Company #3 on Woods Road. The Neshanic Fire Company is contracted to respond in the western portion of Hillsborough. The three Hillsborough fire companies are supplemented with career staffing 6AM to 6PM seven days a week.
www.hillsboroughfiresafety.com
Please direct questions or inquires to Fire Chief Christopher Weniger 908-271-5140
