Vinita Fire Department's New PPC Rating Provides Better Protection for Residents

The Vinita Fire Department (VFD) has received a new Public Protection Classification (PPC) rating from the Insurance Service Office (ISO). The VFD’s rating has improved from a Class 5 to a Class 2. The rating scale is from 1-10, with 10 being the lowest. The ISO rates over 45,000 fire departments in the United States. Only 3% of them have a Class 2 rating, making the Vinita Fire Department one of only 1,243 preeminent fire departments in the nation.  

“It’s almost unheard of for a small-town fire department to achieve such a high rating,” Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready said. “It demonstrates the department’s commitment and determination to provide the very best protection for their community.” 

Commissioner Mulready also said the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) offers free consulting and educational resources for fire departments and communities interested in improving their PPC rating and mitigating fire risk. 

“This is an impressive accomplishment for the Vinita Fire Department as they join the ranks of those high-performing Class 2 departments,” OID’s ISO Field Coordinator Lois Spinn said. “Here at OID, we have the expertise in risk reduction to assist Oklahoma's fire departments and communities in their efforts to maximize their PPC evaluations as a no-cost information resource.”

In Oklahoma, there are over 740 fire departments. Still, only six have earned the Class 1 rating and about 33 departments the Class 2 rating. This lowered risk rating may help residents and businesses save on insurance premiums gradually. It is important to check with your insurance company to see if the new rating will translate to lower premiums. 

The new rating takes effect on May 1, 2021. For more information on community risk reduction, please contact Lois Spinn at lois.spinn@oid.ok.gov.