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Columbia proclaims Fire Prevention Month; fire department cites Class 1 ISO rating and inspection numbers
Summary
The council proclaimed October as Fire Prevention Month and city fire officials reported inspection and response statistics, including maintaining a Class 1 ISO rating and thousands of inspections and outreach events in 2024.
The City of Columbia proclaimed October 2025 as Fire Prevention Month and recognized the Columbia Richland fire response and prevention activities during a council presentation.
City officials told council the Columbia Richland Fire Department responded to 576 structure fires in 2024 and the department’s Fire Prevention Division performed 4,347 fire inspections, reviewed 88 site plans, 58 fire alarm plans and 74 sprinkler plans. Staff also reported delivering more than 160 fire-safety presentations and installing more than 350 free smoke alarms for residents.
Fire leadership highlighted a recent Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating that placed the department in Class 1, a score driven by high marks for emergency communications (9.74 out of 10), fire-department capabilities and training (43.57 out of 50), water-supply points (36.88 out of 40) and community risk reduction (5.13 out of 5.5). The combined score cited in the meeting was 94.31, a value within the Class 1 range.
In remarks to council, the fire chief emphasized public outreach efforts during Fire Prevention Month, including a kickoff parade that visited multiple schools and daycare centers and public messaging about lithium-ion battery safety and proper disposal.
Why it matters: A Class 1 ISO rating is a signal used by insurers and municipalities to evaluate community fire protection capability; officials said that fewer than 1% of U.S. fire departments hold that rating. The department framed the outreach and inspection work as part of a strategy to reduce home fires and support public safety.
Council proclaimed Fire Prevention Month to underscore prevention education and recognize firefighters’ work; city staff noted the department was named a Fire Safe South Carolina Community for the sixth consecutive year.
