Automatic Aid

Automatic aid is assistance dispatched automatically by contractual agreement between two communities or fire districts. That differs from mutual aid or assistance arranged case by case. ISO will recognize an automatic-aid plan under the following conditions:

  • It must be prearranged for first-alarm response according to a definite plan. It is preferable to have a written agreement, but ISO may recognize demonstrated performance.
  • The aid must be dispatched to reported structure fires on the initial alarm.
  • The aid must be provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • The aid must offset a need in the community ISO is surveying. For example, if a community needs a ladder company and the fire department does not have one, but a neighboring community's ladder company responds by automatic-aid agreement, credit may be available.
  • The aiding ladder company must cover at least 50% of the needed ladder company standard response district by hydrant count in the community being graded.

Note: Various insurance underwriting plans may consider other criteria for automatic aid; therefore, ISO evaluates all automatic-aid plans.

Credit for responding automatic-aid companies depends on the value of the automatic-aid arrangements, determined by the following criteria:

  • Communication facilities — The alarm dispatch circuit between the department communication centers, or between a central communication center and the aiding fire station, should be the equivalent of the needed facilities in the community that ISO is surveying.
  • Receipt of alarm — The aiding departments should receive all alarms from the community being surveyed and dispatch their companies according to the dispatch protocol.
  • Interdepartmental training — The communities should conduct the following interdepartmental training:
    • Quarterly half-day, multiple-company drills with automatic-aid companies
    • Semiannual half-day, multiple-company drills with automatic-aid companies
    • Annual half-day, multiple-company drills with automatic-aid companies
  • Fire ground communications — The communities should have common mobile and portable radio-frequency capability.

For more information . . .
. . . on any topic related to the PPCTM program or the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, click Talk to ISO Mitigation, or call the ISO mitigation specialists at 1-800-444-4554.