Protection Class 1 Rating
Effective July 1, 2022, Seattle Fire holds a Protection Class 1 rating from WSRB
Seattle Fire has become the first fire department in the state of Washington to receive the most exemplary protection class rating from the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau (WSRB) – a Protection Class 1 rating. The new rating is in effect on July 1, 2022 and validates SFD’s ability to efficiently serve those who live, work and visit Seattle.
What does this mean for commercial and residential property owners?
Most, but not all, insurance companies insuring property in the state use WSRB protection class and loss cost data as one essential input for setting the fire portion of insurance premiums. Beginning on July 1, 2022, property owners of residential and commercial structures can contact their insurance agent to find out if their property insurance premium will change at renewal. If a property is within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant and within five miles of a Seattle Fire Station, it will be classified under the City of Seattle’s Protection Class 1. Insurance companies use WSRB’s online tools, which allow them to determine the approved rating. While not guaranteed, it’s possible that the new Protection Class rating could lower fire insurance premiums for owners of commercial or residential property.
What factors did the WSRB consider in making this rating?
WSRB evaluated the City of Seattle in four major areas: water supply, fire department, emergency communications and fire safety control. For water supply, WSRB evaluated the capacity, distribution and maintenance of Seattle Public Utilities’ water systems and fire hydrants. For the fire department, WSRB evaluated SFD’s fire stations, apparatus, equipment, personnel and training. For emergency communications, WSRB evaluated the emergency communication system at Seattle’s Fire Alarm Center used to dispatch resources to fire incidents. For fire safety control, WSRB evaluated the SFD Fire Prevention division’s fire code enforcement and SFD Public Affairs’ fire safety education activities in the community. The four areas are evaluated and scored independently of each other and then combined for a final calculation to determine the Protection Class.
Read more about how Protection Class ratings on the WSRB website.