FY2017 Arlington Fire Department Annual Report FY 2017 | Page 24

Managed by the Fire Marshal, this section houses both the Fire Investigation and Inspections units, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team, and issues permits for hazardous operations and fire detection/suppression systems. As certified peace officers, the Investigation Unit investigates causes of fires and is responsible for conducting internal investigations, ensuring the public’s and employee’s interests and rights are safeguarded. Fire Inspectors are responsible for periodic inspection of commercial/public buildings, licensed facilities/operations, and other buildings in the City, as well as conducting certificate of occupancy inspections for new businesses. They inspect fire detection/ suppression systems and play a key role in crowd management at large-scale venues. Fire Prevention Deputy Chief / Fire Marshal Support Staff 63% of All Fires are Confined to the Room of Origin Deputy Fire Marshal Inspections Deputy Fire Marshal Investigations Fire Prevention Specialist (3) Fire Investigators/ Bomb Technician Fire Prevention Inspectors (6) Fire Investigators/ Bomb Technician Arlington joins the top 1% of communities in the U.S. for excellence in fire protection. In 2017, AFD participated in an ISO assessment. The resulting score was 95.67 (ISO 1) as compared to the 2007 score of 84.40 (ISO 2). The new ISO 1 rating became effective March 1, 2018. ISO ratings are used by most insurance companies to predict/ analyze risk when generating insurance premiums. Fire departments are evaluated and classified every 10 years by the Insurance Service Office (ISO), an insurance industry risk management firm, using a Public Protection Classification (PPC) program. Scores range from 1-10, with 1 as the top score. Arlington residents/business owners should share the new rating information with their 23 insurance providers at the time of renewal.