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The Santa Fe County Fire Department would like to recognize the El Dorado Volunteer Fire District for completing an evaluation by the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) at which time they were awarded a Public Protection Classification rating of 3.

The El Dorado Volunteer Fire District was last evaluated in 2005 and received a rating of 4. At that time, El Dorado was only one of two Volunteer Fire Districts in New Mexico with that high of a rating. Currently, they are the only Volunteer Fire District or Department in the State to receive a rating of 3.

The Insurance Services Organization (ISO) evaluates fire protection areas across the U.S. and assigns each a rating from 1 through 10, 1 being the best possible rating. This rating is used by many insurance companies to set premiums for homeowners and commercial fire insurance coverage. ISO evaluates a community’s fire protection based on three factors: 1) Receiving and handling 9-1-1 emergency calls, 2) Water supply - availability, storage, hydrants and hydrant maintenance, and 3) Fire Department equipment, apparatus, staffing and training, and distribution of fire stations.

“We are justifiably proud of our new rating but recognize it is a team effort,” says District Chief Steve Tapke, “the El Dorado area is also served by the Santa Fe County Regional Medic 80 Crew and receives automatic aid from neighboring Districts in the Eastern Region of the County. We are grateful to all who helped us achieve this success”.

For more information on District ISO ratings, go to the Santa Fe County Fire Department web site at www.santafecountyfire.org or for more information on the Insurance Services Organization, visit www.iso.com.