Below is the entire October 7, 2008 news release regarding Blue Ash's insurance rating improvement ....

The City of Blue Ash was recently notified that its fire insurance rating increased dramatically from a previous Class 4 rating to Class 2!

Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO) collects and evaluates information from communities across the country on their structure fire suppression capabilities, and recently completed an evaluation of Blue Ash. ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. In communities, ISO visits the Fire Department, analyzes relevant data and assigns a Public Protection Classification (PPC) – a number ranging from 1 to 10. A community’s PPC depends on three elements: fire alarm and communication systems, the fire department, and the local water supply system. Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression program, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s program does not meet ISO’s minimum criteria. Blue Ash’s rating is Class 2, representing a significant improvement from its previous Class 4 rating.
“We’re very pleased of this considerable fire insurance rating improvement as it is sure to be a benefit for all Blue Ash residential and business property owners,” stated Mayor Robert J. Buckman, Jr. “We’re all very proud of the men and women in our Fire Department for their hard work which has helped the City realize this significant improvement,” added Buckman.

Fire Chief Rick Brown commented that “insurance companies use this PPC rating to help establish fair premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance and that overall, the cost of fire insurance in a community with a good PPC is substantially lower than in a community with a poor PPC.” Brown encourages all Blue Ash property owners to contact their insurance agents to discuss potential cost savings as a result of this positive change for Blue Ash.
Major reasons contributing to Blue Ash’s improved grade relate to the opening of its newest and second fire station on Kenwood Road within past recent years, as well as the automatic response agreements Blue Ash has with several surrounding fire departments, including Sharonville and Montgomery. These mutual aid agreements assure an appropriate level of personnel available to respond to a fire. Working cooperatively with neighboring departments greatly enhances the fire protection in our region.

A Class 2 or better fire rating has been achieved only by 610 rated communities nationwide and 24 rated communities in Ohio, making Blue Ash among the top 1.3% across the nation and among the top 1% in Ohio.