Orcas Island Fire and Rescue will remain a “class 6” with the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau. In a letter received on April 8 from the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue was informed that its Protection Class Rating will remain a six.

Over the last year, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue has been preparing for an evaluation by the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau, which began its analysis of OIFR in October 2014. The WSRB evaluates fire districts and water systems and assigns a rating that insurance companies use to establish insurance premiums. OIFR has maintained a base rating of 6 that was last assigned by the WSRB in 1988. Consistent with the laws and standards dictating department operations, the WSRB system has become more detailed since 1988.