ARTESIA — The Artesia Fire Department has been notified that it has received an ISO grade of 2, the highest grade presently earned by any New Mexico fire department.
Out of the 369 fire departments in the state, Artesia will share this grade with only four other cities: Hobbs, Las Cruses, Los Alamos and Raton. In the U.S. alone, there are only 653 of the more than 47,242 fire departments rated an ISO Class 2 or lower. This places AFD in the top 1 percent both within New Mexico and the nation.
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“I have been in the fire service for over 28 years, but this is one of the most significant accomplishments I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of,” Fire Chief J.D. Hummingbird said. “A lot of people contributed to this happening, but without the knowledge, leadership and attention to detail of Fire Marshal James Abner, we wouldn’t have received such a high score to give us that coveted grade 2 rating.”
The fire department made the decision to request a review from the Insurance Services Organization (ISO) just as the Public Safety Complex was being completed in April 2011. The last time the ISO inspected the AFD, it received an ISO grade of 5.
