Renton RFA Protection Class Improvement Means Savings for the Renton Community
[RENTON, WA – October 18, 2018] Renton Regional Fire Authority is pleased to announce that, effective February 1, 2019, property owners of Renton, Fire District 25, and Fire District 40 will see an improvement in their Public Protection Class rating. Those who meet the protection class guidelines within Renton city limits will see their protection class improve from a rating of “3” to a rating of “2”. Those who meet the protection class guidelines in Fire District 25 and Fire District 40 will see their protection class improve from a rating of “4” to a rating of “3”.
The Public Protection Class Program is a rating system that reflects the capabilities of the fire protection system within a community. Based on a sliding scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the best rating), it plays an important role in the underwriting process for insurance companies. As a result, the improvement in protection class for Renton, and the surrounding districts served by Renton RFA, has the potential to result in property insurance premium savings for individuals and businesses throughout the community in 2019.
The new ratings are the result of new policies and programs, additional staffing, improved data retention, and strategic partnerships with other agencies in the surrounding area. When formed, Renton RFA began devising and acting on a calculated plan to improve services throughout the community. Every member of the organization has been instrumental in the actions taken that led to this successful improvement. Some key changes or additions to the organization include fire code inspection and enforcement, fire plans review, community education, increased member training, improvements in administrative record keeping, and implementation of the pre-incident planning program.
While those actions led to the improved protection class rating, it is important to remember that they were made possible by those who voted to approve the creation of Renton Regional Fire Authority a little over two years ago. The creation of Renton RFA allowed for the funding and staffing necessary to achieve a better result for the entire community. A sentiment that Fire Chief, Rick Marshal, finds key.
“We owe our gratitude to the voters who approved the creation of Renton RFA. By casting their vote for our organization, those community members got the ball rolling. Under the guidance and support of the Renton RFA Governance Board, we were granted the funding necessary to access the resources needed to better protect our community. This is just one of many ways we’re working to make Renton safer, healthier, and stronger as a community every day.”
– Rick Marshall, Fire Chief
Renton RFA also credits the City of Renton’s Fleet Management Team and the Renton Water Utility Team for both their excellent service and their commitment to quality record retention. These partnerships continue to make good on Renton RFA and the City of Renton’s promise to continue to work together for the ultimate benefit of the community.
The protection class rating applies to dwellings and commercial properties located within five road miles of a responding fire station and having standard fire hydrant distribution and water supply. Those who meet these guidelines are urged to contact their insurance agents, after the change takes effect on February 1, 2019, to determine the relative effect of this new protection class on their insurance premiums.
