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Murrieta Fire & Rescue moves to ISO Class 2; officials point to staffing, ladder truck and documentation gains
Summary
City fire officials told the council Murrieta improved from ISO Class 3 to Class 2 after upgrades in apparatus, training and communications; officials said hydrant‑inspection documentation and staffing remain the main gaps to reach Class 1, and the rating takes effect May 1.
Murrieta Fire & Rescue told the City Council Feb. 17 that the department’s Insurance Services Office (ISO) classification has improved from Class 3 to Class 2, a change officials said reflects better staffing documentation, new apparatus credit and improved emergency communications.
Captain Mike McManow explained ISO’s scoring (ranges class 1–10) and said roughly half of the score derives from fire department operations (staffing, apparatus, training), about 40% from water supply and distribution, and 10% from emergency communications. He highlighted that a newly received ladder truck increased a department credit from 0.49 to 3.09 points and that training documentation nearly maxed out available points (8.93 out of 9).
McManow and Chief Malloy said water‑supply capacity is not the limiting factor; instead the department received low credit for annual hydrant inspection documentation and flow‑testing compliance because inspections are administered by four separate water districts and recordkeeping is inconsistent. The speakers recommended formalizing annual inspection cycles and ISO‑compliant documentation, coordinated across the districts, to reclaim those available points.
Officials also noted personnel credit remains below the maximum because ISO awards full credit for four‑person engine companies while Murrieta currently staffs three per engine in some locations; staffing and deployment models will determine major steps toward a Class 1 rating. Chief Malloy said the Class 2 designation places Murrieta in roughly the top 7% of rated U.S. fire protection agencies and that the ISO change will be implemented by Verisk on May 1; officials added that any insurance premium effect remains at insurers’ discretion.
Ending: Councilmembers thanked the department for its work and asked follow‑up questions about station placement, staffing and hydrant inspection documentation; staff said a multi‑year documentation and coordination plan will be needed to pursue Class 1 status.
