Lake Valley Fire Protection District has earned a better rating from the Insurance Services Office. As of this month the district has an ISO Public Protection Classification of 2 in areas with fire hydrants and 2Y for rural portions of the fire district without fire hydrants.

“Basically, the district demonstrated to an ISO representative that we strategically operate to National Fire Protection Association standards,” Leona Allen, spokeswoman for Lake Valley, told Lake Tahoe News. “The rating is good for three years, and, yes, – folks should contact their insurance companies to advise them of the change.”

Lake Valley has been working diligently during the last few years to reduce the rating from a 5 to a 2. The district is one of 750 fire departments in the country to receive this designation.

The change could bring a reduction in fire insurance rates for all properties within Lake Valley’s boundaries.

The Insurance Services Office Inc., better known as ISO, is a company that serves insurance companies by evaluating communities all over the country and assigning a risk classification ranging from the lowest risk being 1 to the highest being a 10. They rate communities based on three criteria: The fire department’s capabilities, the firefighting water supply, and the emergency communications capability.