ISO Fire Rating

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) provides insurance companies with advisory information for underwriting risk and establishing insurance rates in communities.  An ISO rating, also known as a Public Protection Classification (PPC), is a score from 1 (highest rating) to 10 which indicates how well-protected the community is by the fire department. 

Lower ratings mean that a department is better prepared to respond to fires within its district. Amongst other things, inspectors look at staffing levels and training, response times, water supply, emergency communications, and risk reduction including fire prevention, education and investigation.

Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program doesn't meet ISO’s minimum criteria.  In North Carolina, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) administers the program on behalf of the ISO as the North Carolina Response Rating System in communities with less than 100,000 population.  A community's protection class rating is among the factors used to determine local residential and commercial insurance rates. 

As of October 1, 2021, Clayton received a split ISO rating of 2/2/9.  This means if your house or business is in the city limits of Clayton, your rating is a 2, if you are outside the city limits, within Claytex Fire District and within 5 miles of a fire station, your rating is a 2. If you live in the Claytex Fire District but more than 5 miles from a fire station, your rating is a 9.