The Insurance Services Office (ISO) is the branch of the insurance industry that grades the capability of fire protection for a geographic or municipal area. The ISO examines the dispatch communications, equipment and personnel of the fire department, and the water delivery system. Based on the ISO grading scale, the fire department is assigned a Fire Protection Class Grade that ranges from 1-10 with 1 being the highest and 10 the lowest. The local insurance agencies based their rates on this grade and charge higher premiums for those properties outside the City of Morristown. Most of Hamblen County outside of the Morristown City Limits is classified as a Class 9. The Morristown Fire Department has attained a Grade 3 rating. Fire Protection Class Grade is one factor considered by industries that are being recruited for the area but the greatest benefit is the direct return to the taxpayers that results from lower fire insurance rates. It works like this:

A typical $60,000 house would pay $730.00 per year for fire insurance if located in a Class 9 area. The same house in a Class 3 area would pay $277.00. This represents a savings of $453.00 on fire insurance. The city taxes on this property would be $195.00. The total savings to the homeowner would be $258.00 annually.

To maintain this rating, the Morristown Fire Department conducts flow tests of hydrants, conducts information preplans of businesses, maintains and tests equipment and apparatus, and conducts a minimum of 240 hours of training for each firefighter. Fire companies also participate in drills and exercises and attend specialized schools to develop new skills and enhance old ones.