Whidbey fire chiefs push for clearer insurance ratings, county fire marshal

Whidbey homeowners may never see the math behind their fire insurance rate, but the score can still reach their monthly bill. Fire chiefs across the island are pressing for a clearer state rating system, arguing that a low protection class can mean higher premiums, tighter coverage options and less public trust even when local departments appear to be doing the job well.

The push follows a report the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner delivered to lawmakers on May 28, 2026, after the Legislature ordered a review during the 2025 session. That report said the current property protection classification system lacks transparency, measures documented inputs rather than actual operational performance, and can produce abrupt cliff effects at fixed distance thresholds. It also said rural and volunteer departments are often judged by standards built around urban, career-based models, including a 3-to-1 volunteer equivalency ratio and age penalties for apparatus. The Washington Surveying & Rating Bureau says its protection classes run from 1 to 10, with 1 meaning exemplary fire protection and 10 meaning fire protection is insufficient for insurance credit. The bureau says its rating looks at fire department staffing, equipment and training, water supply and emergency communications, and that most property insurers in Washington use the score as one input when pricing fire insurance. The OIC report also makes clear that the classification system is not used to measure wildfire risk.

Local chiefs say the bigger problem is that communities cannot easily see how the score is built or what improvements would change it. South Whidbey Fire/EMS Chief Nick Walsh said the island’s agencies have to work together if the community wants a better system. Oak Harbor deputy chief Bill Harris said the standards should be more objective so districts know exactly which investments will improve public safety outcomes. North Whidbey Fire and Rescue is still contesting its most recent rating, saying the bureau did not have all the information it needed from the county and water districts.

The rating fight has also revived an older Island County problem: the lack of a dedicated county fire marshal. County commissioners eliminated funding for that position 33 years ago and assigned the sheriff to handle the role. In January 2025, Island County Sheriff Rick Felici and fire chiefs proposed bringing back a county fire marshal, saying the county effectively does not have one. Draft county materials say the office would help ensure fire codes and related standards are observed and coordinate community risk-reduction efforts. Retired Camano chief Craig Helgeland said commercial fire inspections in unincorporated areas have been “hit and miss” for years. For Island County, the issue is no longer just technical scoring in Olympia. It is whether homeowners are paying for a system they can understand, challenge and trust.