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Palm Desert areas improve ISO fire classification from 3 to 2; city officials credit regional collaboration
Summary
The City of Palm Desert and neighboring 'cove' communities improved their Insurance Services Office (ISO) classification from a 3 to a 2, city and county fire officials reported, a change officials said can lower insurance costs and reflects investments in dispatch, staffing and water infrastructure.
Palm Desert officials announced Thursday that the Insurance Services Office (ISO) classification for the city and its neighboring “cove” communities has improved from a Class 3 to a Class 2, a change firefighters and officials said reflects enhancements in dispatch, staffing, apparatus and water systems.
Riverside County Fire Department representatives briefed the council on the rating change, explaining ISO evaluations consider multiple factors including response times, personnel, apparatus and the water system serving hydrants. “Our new rating is now going to be a 2, classification of 2, which is a a very good improvement,” a county representative said, noting it places the area in the top 6.5% of evaluated fire jurisdictions nationwide.
Officials told the council the improvement reflects collaborative efforts among the three “cove” communities — Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells — and water-district improvements. The briefing cited the planned opening of a new Fire Station 102 as one factor expected to help future evaluations.
Mayor Jan Harnick and councilmembers praised the work and asked how the improvement had been achieved. The county speaker said the improvements were a combination of the three cities’ efforts plus upgrades by the regional water district.
There was no council action required. The report was informational.
