North Whidbey fire district challenges draft insurance rating downgrade
A draft drop from a 5 to a 6 could hit North Whidbey property owners in the wallet, and the fire district says the score may rest on incomplete data.
North Whidbey homeowners and business owners could feel the draft insurance rating downgrade long before the paperwork is settled, because insurers often use fire protection classes when setting premiums and coverage terms. North Whidbey Fire and Rescue is challenging a draft change that would move the district from a 5 to a 6, a shift the department says could create real estate and insurance headaches across the island.
The Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau last evaluated the district and surrounding community in 2020. In the new draft, the bureau says North Whidbey has lost ground in several areas, including hydrant inspection and condition, the arrangement and operation of water system components, and fire code inspections of existing occupancies. In Washington’s rating system, lower numbers are better, with 1 representing exemplary fire protection and 10 meaning fire protection capabilities are not sufficient to receive credit for insurance.
Chief Chris Swiger said the result was disheartening, and the district has been pushing back because the bureau appears to have issued the draft without complete information from water districts and Island County. The report says 18 water districts did not provide all requested records, and the county had not supplied some inspection information the bureau wanted. That leaves the district arguing not only about its own performance, but also about whether the score reflects the full picture of local fire protection.
The bureau says it evaluates communities through four major components: water supply, the fire district, fire safety control and emergency communications. Its public guidance says hydrant distribution and flow rates, emergency dispatch systems, and fire and building code enforcement are central to the process. North Whidbey Fire and Rescue says the bureau operates as an independent, nonprofit public service organization under a rating schedule approved by the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner. The bureau also says a class 6 is common in Washington.
For North Whidbey, the stakes are practical. The district serves about 18,000 residents across 55 square miles, from Deception Pass Bridge south to Libbey Road, excluding Oak Harbor city limits and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, which have their own fire departments. The district says it now operates seven fire stations, an administrative headquarters, 15 apparatus, one basic life support ambulance and three command vehicles. It also responded to 2,221 emergency calls in 2019 and received a $595,000 FEMA SAFER grant in April 2023 to help recruit and train volunteers.
Oak Harbor Fire Department carries a protection class rating of 4, underscoring how even a one-point shift can matter in insurance conversations. North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, also known as Island County Fire Protection District No. 2, was incorporated on November 7, 1950 and is governed by a three-member board of fire commissioners. The bureau’s draft now leaves the district fighting over whether the downgrade reflects actual emergency response capacity or a scoring dispute that could still change as the review continues.
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