Following a review in November of 2021, the Insurance Services Office (ISO) recently notified the Canton Fire Department that it has been giving an Public Protection Classification of 3/3Y. This rating is used by many insurers to determine fire insurance premiums in the response area. ISO collects and evaluates information from communities in the United States on their structure fire suppression capabilities. The data is analyzed using our Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) and then a Public Protection Classification (PPC©) grade is assigned to the community. The surveys are conducted whenever it appears that there is a possibility of a PPC change. As such, the PPC program provides important, up-to-date information about fire protection services throughout the country.

A community's investment in fire mitigation is a proven and reliable predictor of future fire losses. Statistical data on insurance losses bears out the relationship between excellent fire protection – as measured by the PPC program – and low fire losses. So, insurance
companies use PPC information for marketing, underwriting, and to help establish fair premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance. In general, the price of fire insurance in a community with a good PPC grade is substantially lower than in a community
with a poor PPC grade, assuming all other factors are equal.

ISO is an independent company that serves insurance companies, communities, fire departments, insurance regulators, and others by providing information about risk. ISO's expert staff collects information about municipal fire suppression efforts in communities
throughout the United States. In each of those communities, ISO analyzes the relevant data and assigns a PPC grade – a number from 1 to 10. Class 1 represents an exemplary fire suppression program, and Class 10 indicates that the area's fire suppression program does
not meet ISO's minimum criteria.

Receiving a rating of 3/3Y is a validation of the hard work and dedication of the members of the Canton Fire Department as well as the investment made by the community to support the operation of the fire department and the municipal water system.