ISO rating improved

Deputy Sgt. Geoffrey Smith of the Sturgis Police Department and deputy fire chief Andrew Strudwick have announced the city’s fire department has improved its ISO rating from a Class 6 to a Class 4.

In a recent presentation before members of the city commission, Smith and Strudwick said the Class 4 status makes the Sturgis Fire Department one of 87 in Michigan to be at that level. For the sake of comparison, in Michigan, there are 27 Class 3 departments, one Class 2 department and no Class 1 departments.

Efforts to achieve the reclassification were a tenacious process, Smith said, noting that ISO stands for Insurance Services Office.

In essence, Smith and Strudwick said, the ISO class rating determines the overall preparedness and operations of a fire department. The rating is issued following an on-site inspection by ISO officials.