SVFD rating increase may ease insurance

Fire insurance premiums may be going down for some Spokane Valley businesses.

Effective Sept. 1, the Spokane Valley Fire Department will be upgraded from a Class 4 to a Class 3 by the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau.

The bureau rates fire departments and districts in the state on a 1-10 scale. A Class 1 rating represents the best fire protection possible, and a Class 10 means that most property in that area is unprotected. Insurance companies use these ratings as a guide to determine premiums for businesses and homeowners.

“The classification of fire departments not only ensures that fire rates reflect the actual protection that a community can expect, it also acts as an incentive to improve or maintain the local fire service capabilities,” said Spokane Valley Fire Chief Mike Thompson.

There are no Class 1 districts in the state. Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way and King County #39 are the only class 2 districts.

Of a total of 689 communities evaluated in the state, there are only 24 Class 3 districts, including Spokane Valley, Spokane and Richland on the East Side.

The difference between a Class 3 and a Class 4 rating may not have much effect on homeowners’ premiums, but it could help reduce insurance premiums for commercial buildings, said Robert Lacy, manager of the field department at WSRB.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department also serves Millwood and Liberty Lake, both rated Class 4.

Thompson said that Millwood has to be covered by the district for five years before it can be included in the classification. Millwood was annexed into the fire district in May 2005.

“We look at the fire department, but we also look at the water supply. The water supply is about 40 percent of it, and that could be the difference in the rating,” said Lacy.

Water supply is the issue with Liberty Lake. “You have to have 4,000 gallons from four sources,” said Thompson.

The Liberty Lake situation will improve when Station 10 receives a pumper truck and additional personnel, Thompson said. These things are included in the district’s three-year plan.

The Spokane Valley Fire Department requested the WSRB evaluation to see if it had improved since its last assessment. The WSRB conducted the site survey in February.

The WSRB review is like a report card for fire districts. The bureau considers the level of training and skills of department personnel and staffing levels as well as the amount, quality and appropriateness of equipment.

In addition to evaluating the district’s water supply, the locations of fire stations are considered to determine response times. Stations should be located within five miles of structures they protect.

“The improvement in ratings does show that the fire departments are doing some things to keep up with the growth going on in their communities,” said Lacy.