Concord, CA – The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District has earned a significant upgrade in its national Public Protection Classification (PPC) from the Insurance Services Office (ISO), improving from Class 3/8B in the Western and Central areas and Class 4/9 in the Eastern area to a unified Class 2/2Y rating across the 582 square mile service area.
This improvement reflects years of strategic investment in facilities, staffing, training, prevention, and emergency response capabilities.
The ISO PPC program evaluates more than 40,000 fire jurisdictions nationwide, assigning ratings from Class 1 (highest) to Class 10 (no recognized fire protection). Ratings are determined through the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS), which measures four critical areas:
- Emergency Communications – speed and efficiency in receiving and dispatching calls.
- Fire Department Operations – Staffing, training, equipment, and response capabilities.
- Water Supply – Availability, reliability, and hydrant system maintenance
- Community Risk Reduction – Fire prevention, safety, education, and fire investigation programs.
Contra Costa Fire’s score rose from approximately 75 to 87.4 points out of 105.5, placing the District just three points shy of the top Class 1 designation. This significant leap is attributed to enhanced service delivery, increased staffing, new facilities, robust fire prevention efforts, and fleet modernization.
“This achievement reflects the dedication of our entire organization, from inspectors ensuring code compliance, to firefighters maintaining peak readiness, to improved training and development of our members, to our communications center compliance with national standards,” said Lewis Broschard, Fire Chief of Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. “Every division contributed to earning this rating, and our communities will benefit both in safety and potentially reduce insurance premiums.
“This signification improvement in our fire protection rating is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of Contra Costa Fire’s team,” said Candace Andersen, District 2 Supervisor and Board Chair. “This achievement not only enhances our community’s safety, but it also demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that every resident and business has access to the best possible emergency response services. We’re proud of the progress we have made, and we’ll continue striving for even greater excellence in the future.
The upgraded rating brings substantial benefits to residents and businesses. Communities such as Bethel Island have improved from a 9 to a 2Y rating, and city of Brentwood and city of Oakley have advanced from a 4 to a 2. These changes can result in lower fire insurance costs while providing reassurance of high-quality emergency services.
“For years, East County residents have asked for stronger fire protection, and today’s Class 2 rating proved we’ve delivered,” said Diane Burgis, District 3 Supervisor. “This is about more than potential insurance savings, its about knowing that when there’s an emergency, help is closer, faster, and better equipped than ever before.”
Contra Costa Fire Serves over one million residents and visitors, every day, from Discovery Bay and Bethel Island, to Hercules and Pinole. While proud of this Class 2 achievement, the District is committed to continued improvement with the goal of reaching a Class 1 designation in the future.
A 2019 fire on Bethel Island destroyed 3 homes. ISO Rating had been a 9, it will be improved to a 2.
Previous
- Aug 13 – Contra Costa County Fire Chief Says ISO Rating Improves
- Dec 2024 – Supervisor Burgis Announces Youth Center, County Services to Brentwood
- Nov 2015 – Resident Sees Large Insurance Premium Increase Due to Poor ECCFPD Fire Coverage
- May 2015 – ISO Set to Re-Evaluate ECCFPD Ratings, Insurance Rates Expected to Increase
- July 2012 – ISO Notified, East County Insurance Rate Increase To Follow
