The Lathrop Manteca Fire District is now among the top 25 percent of agencies across California that have secured an ISO Rating of 2 or better.

And Lathrop residents may now be able to qualify for a break on their homeowners’ insurance as the result of the agency’s elevation from an ISO Rating of 3/Y to 2/Y in the most recent classification process that occurred earlier this year.

Across the United States, only 6 percent of fire agencies are rated at a 2 or better.

According to a report prepared by Lathrop Manteca Division Chief Larry Madoski, the agency received notification on Halloween from the Insurance Services Organization – an independent, third party standard for rating fire service – that the district would be upgraded as a result of the evaluation that occurred from April 7 through June 30 of this year.

While district picked up additional points during the evaluation for its partnership with the City of Stockton for dispatch services, the report prepared for the Board of Directors outlines how the district also received additional points compared to its previous evaluations through collaborative work with other government agencies – like the joint undertaking with the City of Lathrop to implement a weed abatement program, and the bump it received from the benefits that Measure C has provided the district as the result of its implementation.

In the report, which was approved by Fire Chief Dave Bramell, Madoski noted that given Lathrop’s geographic layout, the enhanced rating should be viewed as a “significant upgrade.” While the city might not be as a large as other agencies in San Joaquin County, the unique makeup of the City of Lathrop and its industries poses unique challenges for the district – from a heavily-used waterway to a pair of heavily-used freeway interchanges to a fertilizer manufacturing plant.

To contact Bulletin reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.