Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire chief explains local insurance ratings and residential sprinkler benefits to council
Summary
North County Regional Fire Chief Dave Kraske told Stanwood council how WSRB ratings influence home insurance and described how residential sprinkler systems reduce fatalities and limit fire spread; he cited an example Arlington ordinance and gave rough cost and insurance‑reduction estimates.
Chief Dave Kraske briefed the Stanwood City Council on how fire department classifications affect homeowners’ insurance and on the benefits and costs of residential sprinkler systems. Kraske said Washington communities are evaluated every five years by a private Washington Survey & Rating Bureau (WSRB) and assigned a numerical rating; Stanwood’s urban areas are rated a 4, outlying areas a 5–6 and one remote area rated 9 due to its distance from a station and lack of water supply.
Kraske described demonstrations and evidence used to persuade local jurisdictions to adopt residential sprinkler ordinances, citing a visual trailer demonstration that compares sprinkled and unsprinkled scenarios. He told the council sprinklers have measurable safety benefits: "fatality rates in residences with residential sprinkler systems are 31 percent lower," and said sprinklers typically activate a single head, limiting water damage. Kraske estimated sprinklers add roughly $3 per square foot in new construction (about $6,000 on a 2,000 sq. ft. house) and that they can reduce insurance costs by around 10% in some cases.
Council discussed response times, growing development to the northeast and how increased distances from Station 99 could change classifications and insurance outcomes. Kraske said the district is preparing for its next WSRB evaluation and is coordinating with city public works on water‑delivery issues that affect ratings.
