Mitigate web portal provides free data-driven resources to improve community fire protection

The foundation of an effective fire department is knowledge–an attribute that firefighters display every day in communities across the United States. But other components of successful fire protection can vary by community, including adequate water supply, training, and equipment.

To improve community fire protection, fire chiefs and local officials need accurate and up-to-date information on everything from the number and location of hydrants to their ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC®) scores.

Gathering this information to support data-driven decision-making can be a challenge for fire chiefs, who are busy running their departments. Moreover, the most valuable insights for directing resources are often gained by comparing a fire department’s readiness against its peers, both in size and geographically.

Recognizing the need for a one-stop portal for fire protection data, ISO Community Hazard Mitigation has created a new easy-to-use web platform designed especially for firefighting professionals. Mitigate is part of ISO’s ongoing collaboration with fire departments to create safer communities across the country.

ISO Mitigate empowers fire officials and community leaders to measure their fire response and effectively allocate investments in facilities, equipment, technology, and personnel. 

Mitigate offers benchmark scores for peer-to-peer comparisons, detailed maps, training resources, and an upload feature to share new information with ISO rapidly—all at no charge. Making a case for new resources to civic officials is easier when fire officials can back up their requests with detailed data.

With their complimentary Mitigate membership, fire protection officials can access:

  • PPC dashboard: Check scores specific to a community’s fire prevention and suppression systems, including its fire and water departments, emergency communications center, and Community Risk Reduction program.
  • Benchmarks: Visualize how peers, both in state and nationwide, perform in all categories related to fire protection.
  • Interactive maps: Examine detailed maps of the local fire protection area, including hydrants, fire stations, and commercial buildings.
  • Online surveys: Improve communication with ISO by uploading new information online about changes relating to fire stations, equipment, personnel, or fire protection boundaries. The surveys are prefilled with information specific to a member’s fire department.
  • Resources: Tap into educational materials and news articles on fire safety.

Mitigate provides objective, countrywide fire protection data to help fire protection officials evaluate and improve their emergency preparedness, including PPC scores for nearly 40,000 U.S. communities.

Learn more about Mitigate.

Brad Bain, a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS), is vice president of Community Hazard Mitigation at Verisk. You can contact Brad at Bradley.Bain@verisk.com.

ISO Fire Suppression Rating Schedule

Our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is free to chiefs and other fire officials. It's a manual containing the criteria Verisk uses in reviewing the fire prevention and fire suppression capabilities of individual communities or fire protection areas. To recieve a copy of the FSRS, contact our National Processing Center at 1-800-444-4554 and select Option 2.

H2O and Verisk

Water supply and distribution systems are important factors in determining a community’s ISO Public Protection Classification (PPC®). We provide complimentary educational training and seminars to water providers and associations throughout the country. Contact Hugh Gibson, national water resources manager, at hugh.gibson@verisk.com for more information.

Other Verisk websites