Fire safety rating for Ritzville department remains the same, despite improvements

Despite the numerous improvements to the Ritzville Fire Department in response to the Washington State Rating Bureau’s inspection early last year, the Fire Safety rating of seven became official on Feb. 1.

This means insurance rates in Ritzville are likely to increase by as much as 10 percent for personal insurance and 25 percent for business insurance rates based on statewide averages.

If all goes to Fire Chief Jim Bostic’s plan, the rating will not stick for long.

In December of 2014 Bostic sent a report to the rating bureau’s Spokane offices, requesting a re-evaluation of the fire department. The bureau responded in late January, though the progress in the fire department is noted the rating of seven was going to remain.

Bostic said the bureau needed to see a years worth of records for the fire departments programs and maintenance in order for the department to receive full credit for them on their evaluation. Records that the bureau examines include hose tests, pump tests on the trucks, training programs and inspection records.

Because his department has been working on these issues already Bostic requested that the bureau begin the year of records not on Feb. 1, when the rating went into effect, but rather in August or September, when the department started addressing many of the deficiencies outlined by the inspection.

The bureau has agreed and the Ritzville Fire Department will be re-evaluated in Sept. 2015.

Bostic said the maintenance of the department’s certification must be habitual in the department in order to maintain the best rating possible, which he explained, has an economic impact on the Ritzville area.

A better rating means lower insurance rates and a lower cost of business in Ritzville. The cost can either encourage or deter businesses from locating in the city.

Though the city fire department can make it to a rating of six, Bostic said it would not be feasible for it to ever achieve a rating of five as it is. He explained in order for a department to be rated at level five, a department needs to have career firefighters and a high level of department training.

This would not be economically feasible for the city and an all-volunteer fire department.

The Washington State Rating Bureau evaluates the fire protection/suppression capability and assigns the community a Protection Class of 1 through 10. A rating of one indicates exemplary fire protection capabilities and 10 indicates the capabilities of the department are insufficient for insurance credit.

Fire departments are evaluated using a schedule approved by the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. The evaluation covers four major areas: Fire Department, the department or companies’ equipment, personnel and their capabilities; Water Supply, the availability of water to suppress fires and the conditions of hydrants; Emergency Communications Systems; and Fire Safety Control, which are fire prevention activities such as code enforcement and public education.

The latest improvements to the fire department include two new fire engines, one purchased from the Hazelwood, Missouri, fire department, and the a refurbished one, which replaced the old yellow pump truck.

Additionally the department has received all new air packs, which replaced outdated ones the department had been using. These were acquired with donations from community businesses and a grant from Burlington Northern Santa Fe, which covered the expense of the new air bottles.

The department has also implemented a voluntary fire safety inspection program while increasing its community outreach and fire fighter training programs.

The city fire department is hosting a regional training session in conjunction with the Adams County Fire Protection District No. 4 on Feb. 21.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe representative will teach emergency responders about railway hazards and how to deal with train incidents. The training is scheduled for Feb. 21 and fire departments from Lincoln County, Moses Lake and the Connell area have been invited.

The training will address how rail incidents are to be handled, including Bakken Oil, which is shipped from oil wells in North Dakota to refineries on the coast via rail.