Fire protection upgrade may save money for Yacolt homeowners

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When you’re working on a scale of 1 to 10, dropping lower isn’t usually a good thing. Unless you happen to be working on the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau’s (WSRB) scale.

The WSRB evaluates the state’s fire districts and assigns them a classification number based on the district’s fire protection capabilities.

“On our scale, one is the best,” says Robert Ferrell, the WSRB’s manager of fire protection systems and services.

To determine a fire district’s protection classification, the state bureau reviews the fire department itself, the area’s water supply and the region’s emergency communications systems. Earning a top-tier classification is tough work. Only four fire districts in Washington have a Class 2 rating and none have earned a Class 1 rating.

Recently, the state bureau reevaluated Fire District 13, which serves residents in Yacolt, Moulton Falls, Dole Valley, Sunset Falls and much of unincorporated Clark County outside the Yacolt-Amboy area.

The last time the WSRB evaluated Fire District 13, in 2007, the fire district ranked in the middle of the pack — with a Class 6 designation for properties within Yacolt and a Class 8 designation for properties in unincorporated Clark County.

In late 2014, the WSRB examined Fire District 13’s fire protection capabilities once more. This time, the small, mostly volunteer-run fire district earned its place among some of the state’s most elite, jumping from a Class 8 to a Class 5 for properties within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant in unincorporated Clark County and from a Class 6 to a Class 4 for residences inside Yacolt.

The bump in numbers is impressive, Ferrell says: “It’s a pretty good jump. Upgrading one class is not uncommon, but what makes Fire District 13 unique is that it went from a Class 6 to a Class 4.”

Earning a Class 4 rating — something Vancouver and Brush Prairie’s fire districts also have achieved — is a big deal, Ferrell says.



“If you look at the entire state, there are more fire districts above a (Class 5) than below a (Class 5),” Ferrell says. “It’s hard to put a word to it, but I’d say a Class 4 is better than average.”

The new fire protection classification will go into effect on April 1 of this year.

Because insurance companies take these classification numbers into account when calculating a homeowner’s fire insurance premiums, the upgrade could mean reduced insurance costs for homeowners served by Fire District 13. Typically, the lower the number, the lower the insurance premium cost.

“We recommend that homeowners contact their insurance agents,” Ferrell says.

When Fire District 13 Chief Ben Peeler contacted his own insurance company, he found out that he’ll be eligible for a 15-to-20 percent savings on his fire insurance.

“I encourage all residents and property owners inside Fire District 13 to contact their insurance agent after the April 1, 2015 effective date and find out how the new rating will affect their insurance premiums,” Peeler says.

Peeler’s fire district operates two fire stations and employees only one full-time employee. The district is mostly staffed by volunteer and part-time firefighters.

“This is quite the accomplishment for our predominantly volunteer fire district,” Peeler says. “This couldn’t have been achieved without the support of our community, and I congratulate our firefighters who, through their hard work and excellent service, made this possible.”