06/04/2026
Let's talk about PPC fire codes.
What is the Public Protection Classification program?
The Public Protection Classification (PPC) program is a community fire protection scoring system based on a Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) used by the Insurance Services Office, also known as ISO Mitigation.
Communities get a PPC score from 1 to 10.
1 means the community has superior property fire protection.
10 means the community’s fire protection efforts don’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria.
Most home and business insurers use PPC scores to determine insurance premiums. Businesses and individuals in a community with a good PPC score typically pay less for fire insurance.
How does the PPC system score local fire protection?
ISO field representatives use the FSRS when reviewing a community's fire protection capability. The FSRS scores water distribution, fire department equipment and manpower, fire alarm facilities, and other factors. The FSRS score is then converted into a Public Protection Classification (PPC). In Texas, a perfect score in the categories below is 109.76.
Most points available in each PPC category:
10 points – Emergency communications
50 points – Fire department review
40 points – Water supply review
5.5 points – Community risk reduction
4.26 points – Texas exceptions for training and technology
Classification descriptions:
Class 1-8: The fire suppression system includes an FSRS creditable dispatch center, fire department, and water supply.
Class 8B: Is an exception for Class 9 areas that have a superior fire protection system but lack the FSRS minimum water criteria.
Class 9: The fire suppression system includes a creditable dispatch center, fire department, but no FSRS minimum water supply.
Class 10: Does not meet minimum FSRS criteria for recognition.
Good to Know:Does ISO penalize communities with volunteer fire departments?
No. Volunteer fire departments and paid fire departments are scored on their ability to respond to first alarm structure fires and fire mitigation with the FSRS.
What does the PPC program mean to me?
In Texas, the PPC program shows how well your community fire department responds to first-alarm structure fires and fire mitigation. Improving your community’s PPC score could reduce home, business, and fire insurance premiums in your area.
An improved PPC score means a safer community. A good PPC score shows the community is working to provide fire protection for property owners and citizens. The FSRS also helps identify areas that need improvement and can help justify funding requests.
What about homes in remote locations?
Any building more than five road miles from a fire station or outside the boundary of a city or volunteer fire department service area has a PPC score of 10.
What about homes in remote locations? An exception is an area that has an automatic aid agreement with a recognized and rated fire department. In those cases, ISO assigns a score after evaluating the automatic aid agreement. The score will depend on how far individual buildings are from a fire station.
