SB Stat: Fire

A company called Insurance Services Office (ISO) audits more than 48,000 departments across the United States and assigns each a rating ranging from one to ten, with one being the best. South Bend Fire Department (SBFD) received a rating of two in their 2016 audit. Our current rating has put SBFD in the top two percent in the country, and they have set a goal to achieve a rating of one in their next audit, by strategically prioritizing improvements to the department.

A fire department’s ISO rating is important because it measures the capabilities of the department and services such as water availability and emergency communications to prevent and respond to fire emergencies. ISO sells their data to insurance companies, and a better ISO rating can lower insurance rates for business and residents.

Learn more here.

Like many Fire Departments, SBFD struggled to get the word about their Smoke Alarm Program out to those who most need it. This analysis used Census and local data to help the South Bend Fire Department better target proactive smoke alarm distribution.

For this project we drew from insights generated in New Orleans and Syracuse, NY. We partnered with the American Red Cross, La Casa di Amastad, and the University of Notre Dame to distribute smoke detectors.

Learn more here.