The Culver City Fire Department was recently awarded a Class 1 rating by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The designation is the highest rating given to a fire department and is based on a community’s fire protection capabilities.

“The Culver City Fire Department has always taken great pride in delivering the highest level of service and protection possible,” said Fire Chief Chris Sellers.

“Considering the budgetary challenges we all face, this is a significant achievement by our organization that will have lasting benefits to our community,” Sellers said.

There are only 62 Departments nationwide that have achieved Class 1 status and only a dozen in California. The Culver City Fire Department is also accredited by the Fire Commission on Accreditation International and there are only 10 fire departments in the U.S. that have achieved both of these distinctions simultaneously. The Culver City Fire Department first achieved a Class 1 rating in 1995.

The ISO is a nationwide rating service used by insurance companies to help establish local business and residential property insurance rates. The ISO has evaluated and classified more than 44,000 fire protection areas across the country.