Temecula Home, Business Owners Could See Drop In Insurance Rates

TEMECULA, CA — Temecula home and business owners may want to contact their insurance providers in the months to come to see if they're eligible for discounted rates.

The city and Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department jointly announced that the fire department's Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification rating has improved. The rating is an industry standard used to help determine business and residential insurance premiums.

Beginning July 1, the department's ISO class rating improves from 3 to 2, putting Temecula in the top 7 percent of all rated fire departments nationwide based on readiness and ability to suppress fires.

ISO assigns a rating from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best and 10 the worst. In 2018, Temecula moved from an ISO score of 4 to 3, and this year the city will improve again from a 3 to a 2.

While each insurance company independently determines the premiums it charges its policyholders, lower ISO ratings can result in reduced insurance premiums.

"The new ISO score of 2 is great news for city of Temecula residents and business owners in terms of what we hope may translate into potential savings on insurance premiums for homes and businesses within the city," Temecula City Manager Aaron Adams said in a released statement.

Aarons concurred with Temecula Mayor Zak Schwank.

"We are fortunate to have such a highly rated Fire Department serving Temecula," Schwank said in a released statement. "I want to thank Chief Crater and the men and women of Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department for their hard work and dedication to keeping our city safe."

John Crater serves as Temecula Fire Chief/Cal Fire Division Chief. "Being recognized as an ISO 2 Department is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our firefighters," he said in a released statement. "We are proud to serve the residents and businesses of the City of Temecula and will continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of our work."

Temecula contracts fire protection services through Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

According to ISO Mitigation website, the ratings take into consideration many aspects of keeping a community safe, including a department's tools, equipment, fire stations, staffing, water supply, communications systems, response to alarms, training and fire prevention outreach, among others.

To learn more about the ISO, click here.