Property owners served by Snohomish County Fire District 1 might be eligible for a reduction in fire insurance premiums next year. The Washington Survey and Rating Bureau recently upgraded the fire-protection classification for District 1, which most insurance companies use to set rates.
The fire protection ratings are on a scale of 1 to 10. Fire District 1’s rating was upgraded from a Class 4 to Class 3, placing it in the top 6.2 percent in the state, according to Chief Ed Widdis.
No department in the state has a Class 1 rating, and just four have a Class 2 rating. “This is quite an achievement,” Widdis said.
Fire District 1 serves southern parts of unincorporated Snohomish County and the cities of Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace, with full-time staffing at 12 fire stations serving nearly 200,000 residents.
The Washington Survey and Rating Bureau spent about a month collecting and analyzing data. Factors in the rating included water supplies available to fight fires, capabilities of 911 emergency dispatch and community fire prevention activities.
The rating bureau recommends property owners contact their insurance agents about how the new rating will affect insurance premiums. The new rating becomes effective Feb. 1.
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