We offer many additional services when it comes to helping Fire Departments meet their needs. We offer ISO Consulting, Needs and Risk Assessment, Strategic Financial Planning and SOP/SOG Development. What sets us apart from the other organizations that offer these services? Our grant knowledge. Not only do we consult, assess and develop but we take it one step farther and help you actually plan out solutions to all the issues or areas of improvement that we find. We help make adjustments as needed and help with finding grants to go after to make those needs and changes happen.

Whether your state has its own rating system or follows the Insurance Services Office (ISO) grading schedule for determining the readiness of the fire departments to respond to and mitigate the fires and other emergencies in their area of responsibility, the basis for any ratings system is standardized best practices according to national recommendations. These come in the form of ISO’s own standpoints, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), local/state/federal regulations, and other areas. There are nuances to all of these regulations and recommendations, so the questions most departments face include:

ISO has scores of studies showing that insurers pay lower claims in areas with better ratings, resulting in lower premiums for the property owners in your area. These ratings systems are not just about funding though, they’re about saving lives and property. A more prepared fire department faces fewer risks resulting in safer operating conditions for all of its personnel.

Our specially designed assessment process is tailored for results and efficiency to keep your costs with us down as much as possible by reducing travel and sharing as much information as possible remotely. Then the areas of improvement are detailed with potential costs as well as the return on that investment in terms of the ratings system to ensure that the ones with the greatest ROI are done first when affordable. Many times we find that changes can be implemented at little to no cost, and all recommendations are reviewed by licensed Fire Protection Engineers for state and local compliance. VCS also includes a grant funding report that identifies all possible outside funding avenues for improvements when applicable, and will also help handle any marketing needs to help the clients communicate their improvement plans to the community for support.

Our consulting services are also available ala carte to help create budgeting needs, handle marketing, help develop SOPs & SOG’s, best practices, and required documentation to ensure compliance with applicable regulations in these and other areas.