INSIDE

Fire rating likely to improve

By Meg Olson

The Washington Survey and Rating Bureau (WSRB) visited Point Roberts recently to evaluate the local fire suppression system and found it might have improved enough to earn a higher rating for the community.

“They can make your rating worse on the spot or they can recommend a better rating,” chief Bill Skinner told fire commissioners at their November 8 meeting, reporting on his discussion with WSRB representative Patrick Conroy. “He feels we can possibly go to rating of six.”

On a scale of one to 10 developed through the Insurance Service Office (ISO) and used by underwriters, where a rating of 10 means there is no fire suppression service available, the Point is now rated a seven.

“Your fire insurance is based on that rating,” Skinner said, adding if the community’s fire rating improved, it would be up to individual insurers to decide if that would translate to savings for consumers. “If your carrier is one who would give that discount this would come to somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 percent,” he said. The greatest savings would be realized by commercial properties.

There would be no direct cost to the district for the WSRB review that must precede an improved rating, but Skinner said there would be costs associated with staff time to prepare the district’s submission. “If it’s not a huge project I think it’s worth it,” said commissioner Susan Brownrigg.

Skinner said they would look into what the submission involved and pursue the new rating. “It shows the fire department has improved its equipment, services and facilities, improved our ability to provide services,” he added.

In other fire district news, district commissioners have agreed to cancel a long-standing contract with the state department of natural resources (DNR) to take responsibility for fighting local forest fires.
“I can’t find anyone who would tell me why this would be a good deal for us,” said fire chief Bill Skinner.

The district commissioners agreed not to renew the contract, in place since the late ‘60s, Skinner believed. Under the proposed contract, similar to language in place in the Washington Administrative Code Title 332 for Vashon and Maury Island and parts of Kitsap, King and Pierce County, the Point would not be part of the DNR’s forest protection zone, becoming the protection responsibility of the district. Forested lands excluded from the DNR forest protection zone are not assessed the DNR $14.50 plus 50 cent per acre fire protection tax.

By withdrawing from the contract, Skinner said, any larger forested properties that might exist on the Point may have to pay the DNR tax, but the upside is that if there is a major fire that requires state mobilization, the local fire district would not need to foot the bill for DNR involvement, which would be the case if district remained excluded from the DNR fire protection zone.