Ypsilanti Fire Department rated as top 2% in Michigan, top 5% in the U.S.

The Ypsilanti Fire Department is being recognized as one of the best in the country.

It comes as the department once again improved its Insurance Services Office score to the second-highest rating on the scale.

An ISO score is a metric that evaluates a fire department's readiness to respond to fires, and Ypsilanti just earned a two, a score it shares with only 2% of the other departments in Michigan, and only 5% of other departments in the rest of the country.

"Any department that gets a two, that means we have a very capable fire department. Excellent operations, trainings," said Ypsilanti Fire Chief Ken Hobbs.

On a scale of 1-10, with one being the best ISO score, Hobbs says his department's is continually improving.

"We've gone from a four to a three, and our thing was to maintain that three, and we were shocked when we actually received a two," he said.

Hobbs said that four factors go into determining the score on a 100-point scale: emergency communications, such as dispatch services; the fire department's capabilities, including staffing and training; the community's water supply; and community risk reduction, such as public education and inspections.

"We improved our ability to provide our risk reduction part of it. We've increased our capabilities as a fire department, and that's mostly through training and preparation," Hobbs said.

Hobbs says there's still room to improve to earn the best possible score of 1.

"We're always looking to improve in our equipment. We've got a couple trucks we're looking to replace, and as we replace those trucks, we keep one in reserve, and that improves our status also because we don't have a reserve engine," he said.

Hobbs says the ISO score is also tied to homeowner insurance premiums. The better the department, the lower the risk for property damage and the lower the risk for insurers.

"Communities' insurance ratings are based on that score. The higher the score, the more you pay. The lower the score, the less you pay. The City of Ypsilanti, which has a two ISO rating, you should see a reduction on your insurance cost, because the cost of your insurance is based on the fire department's capabilities," he said.

Hobbs says the score becomes official in August, and once it does, he advises homeowners and businesses to contact their insurers to see if they can get a lower premium as a result.