The report, released in early March, warns that the results can be devastating if emergency services can't keep up with demand.
ISO is an independent organization that serves insurance companies, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. Their field staff visits communities around the country to analyze their fire protection abilities and assign a Public Protection Classification -- a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents exemplary fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire-suppression program does not meet ISO's minimum criteria.
Their latest report is based on ISO's own findings as well as data from the NFPA and a joint NFPA/FEMA report from December 2002 entitled, "A Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service."
The ISO study presents some alarming findings. Based on a questionnaire answered by more than 8,400 fire departments,
Throughout the country, an estimated 45 percent of emergency responders on duty in a single shift lack portable radios. An estimated 36 percent of emergency responders on duty in a single shift lack self-contained breathing apparatus. An estimated 57,000 firefighters do not have their own personal protective clothing. An estimated 233,000 firefighters, mostly volunteers in small communities, are involved in fighting structure fires but lack formal training in those duties. An estimated 60 to 75 percent of all communities have too few fire stations to meet the accepted ISO response-distance guidelines. ISO's statistics also show that vast geographic areas throughout the country have been evaluated as having Class 9 and Class 10 fire protection -- minimal protection or no recognized protection at all. Although these areas are often rural communities, their need for adequate fire protection should not be taken lightly, the report warns. These areas are home to a combined 20 million citizens and billions of dollars' worth of properties, as well as chemical plants and other hazards. The report cites a May 1, 2002 fire that destroyed the Third Coast Industries chemical plant in a rural area outside Houston, Texas. With no alarms or suppression systems at the plant, and no fire hydrants within a mile, the local volunteer fire department had to let the main fire burn while they shuttled water to protect nearby houses and businesses. This type of situation is not unique, the report says. According to a 2003 NFPA study, small communities -- with populations under 5,000 -- had the highest rate of fire incidents, the highest rate of civilian deaths and the highest per capita property loss due to fire in the United States. And the problem is only growing. According to the report, government and industry statistics show that development is accelerating all over the country. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that from 1982 to 1997, 25 million acres of rural land -- an area the size of Maine and New Hampshire combined -- became subdivisions, malls, workplaces, and other developments. ISO's survey of fire chiefs and other officials showed that 86 percent had experienced residential or commercial growth over the past three years, and of those communities, almost three-quarters said that the growth is straining their departments' ability to protect the communities. To read the full report, visit www.iso.com.
