FireProtectionScore
Protection methodology
Inputs, score bands, version rules, missing-data handling, and limits for Protection.
Protection is a proprietary 1 to 10 address-level signal for fire station response access. Lower is stronger. The active FPS-v2 method uses routed road distance, estimated drive time, and station type.
Inputs
The system identifies a nearby HIFLD fire station, routes from the submitted US street address, and records road miles and estimated minutes. When either routed distance or time is missing, the calculation returns no Protection number.
Distance has two remote gates. More than 5 road miles produces a base 9, and more than 7 road miles produces a base 10. At 5 miles or less, drive-time buckets produce a base value from 1 through 8. A station whose name signals volunteer service adds one point, capped at 10. Other or unknown types retain the base value.
Bands and polarity
- 1 to 3: Strong
- 4 to 6: Adequate
- 7 to 8: Limited
- 9 to 10: Remote
These labels describe routed station access. They do not predict an emergency outcome.
Station type limits
The volunteer signal comes from words in the public station name, such as “volunteer” or “VFD.” It is a name heuristic rather than a certified staffing roster. A missing signal cannot establish career staffing.
Inputs we exclude
Protection excludes hydrant distance or density, water supply and flow, building construction, alarms, sprinklers, staffing detail beyond the name-based station type, apparatus, mutual aid agreements, real-time dispatch, and traffic incidents. It does not produce an official ISO, PPC, or FSRS result and has no affiliation with those systems.
Common misreads
A city inventory does not equal an address score. Straight-line map distance does not equal road miles. A low number does not describe wildfire likelihood. A station name without a volunteer keyword does not prove paid staffing.
Versioning and updates
FPS-v1 used distance and time. FPS-v2 adds the station-type adjustment described above. Method changes are labeled so readers can interpret results against the active rules. HIFLD inventory snapshot dates appear on each context hub.
Methodology
Public data. Real science. No black boxes.
Every score is computed from decades of public weather records using physics-based probability modeling. It's the same approach used by insurance and risk management professionals.
- Decades of public weather data
Hurricane tracks, storm intensities, fire perimeters, hail reports, all drawn from public scientific archives. We don't use proprietary data. You can audit every input.
- Physics-based probability modeling
Scores reflect how the actual peril behaves: wind fields, fire spread, ground shaking, and storm tracks. The model keeps the physics visible instead of flattening every place into a broad average.
- Used by professionals
The same PerilScore data layer is used by insurance and risk management professionals. We publish it here so anyone can find authoritative risk numbers for their location.
Frequently asked questions
What does Protection measure?
Does a city have one Protection score?
Does Protection include hydrants or water flow?
Check Protection for a specific property
Protection is calculated for a US street address from routed station distance, drive time, and station type. Area inventories provide context but do not receive a Protection number.