Working together for better fire protection

The Idaho Surveying and Rating Bureau recently completed its evaluation of Northside Fire District, Sagle Fire District and Westside Fire District, resulting in all three agencies receiving a primary Public Protection Classification of 5. The rating system is the result of a complex analysis of fire protection including distance to fire stations.

In short, the results can be summarized as follows: the Northside Fire District will maintain its existing Class 5 rating, while Sagle Fire District and Westside Fire District will move from Class 4 to Class 5, effective November 1, 2026. While the results of Sagle and Westside reflect an increase in their rating, this change was less impactful than expected.

While the numbers are important, the real story behind the ISRB evaluation is cooperation. The ability to maintain these ratings is made possible because Northside, Sagle and Westside do not operate as isolated fire districts. Through their cooperative relationship, the districts work together to provide a network of fire protection that takes advantage of shared staffing, apparatus, stations, training and other resources.

Instead of three individual departments attempting to independently provide every resource necessary to protect their communities, the cooperative model allows resources to support one another across jurisdictional boundaries, while also saving money. When a significant emergency occurs, residents benefit from the capabilities of the larger network, not simply the resources located within their individual fire district. Despite these efforts, we still fall short of meeting national standards for number of firefighters.

While we often refer to the primary classification of a fire district, classifications vary depending upon proximity to a recognized fire station and an approved water supply. Properties located within five road miles of a listed fire station and within 1,000 road feet of a recognized fire hydrant receive a Class 5 rating. Different classifications apply to properties farther from stations or without qualifying hydrant protection.

ISRB classifications are specifically intended to assist insurance companies in evaluating property insurance risk and pricing. They are not a comprehensive measurement of life safety or every aspect of a community's fire protection system. Individual insurance companies also determine how, or whether, the classification affects a particular policy or premium.

Jeff Armstrong is the fire chief of the Selkirk Fire, Rescue, & EMS and Northside Fire District.