The Fire District was re-rated by the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau (WSRB) on May 17, 2019. The Rating Bureau rates fire department capability using a scale of one to ten, with one being the highest rating a fire department can receive. Intended to reflect a fire department’s performance capability, the higher the rating, the more capable a community is of providing fire prevention and suppression services.

WSRB ratings are one of the many factors insurance carriers consider when determining insurance premium rates for home and business owners. When evaluating fire departments, the Rating Bureau considers an array of factors, such as the community’s water system capabilities, fire code enforcement, fire and life safety inspections, apparatus and equipment capabilities, the dispatch system’s capabilities, firefighter staffing levels, station locations, levels and frequency of training, vehicle maintenance, and much more.

The Fire District’s protection class rating for homes located within 5 miles of a fire station and within one thousand feet of a standard fire hydrant is Class Five. Largely because of the water system, hydrant availability, and the District’s fire and life safety program, for areas within the City of Sequim the rating is a Class Four, areas outside the City are rated at a Class Five. The Diamond Point station received a Class Nine rating due to this station currently only having 4 suppression volunteer firefighters living within 5 road miles of the station.

For more information concerning the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau's process for determining the appropriate Protection Class for a property, use the link included below.

Additional Documents:  

Washington State Survey & Rating Bureau