The installation of a new fire hydrant can lead to a lower protection class rating, potentially reducing home insurance premiums.
In this article, you'll find answers to the following questions:
- What is a protection class rating?
- What is the impact of a new fire hydrant?
- How to determine whether a PC rating has been affected?
What is a protection class rating?
Protection class (PC) ratings are a crucial factor that insurance companies use to determine the risk associated with insuring your home. These ratings take into account various factors that influence how effectively your local fire department can respond to a fire emergency.
A WSRB PC is a score from 1 to 10 that represents the community-provided fire protection capabilities available at a specific property. A PC of 1 indicates exemplary fire protection capabilities are available; a PC of 10 indicates the fire protection capabilities, if any, are not sufficient to receive credit for insurance.
Each community in Washington state has a PC, which is used as a starting point to determine the PC of individual properties. WSRB assigns a PC to each property in Washington state based on:
- PC of the community the property is in.
- Distance to a recognized, responding fire station.
- Fire-department-supplied water if the property is not near a standard fire hydrant (known as water tender operations).
- Distance to a standard fire hydrant.
For more information about protection class, click here.
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What is the impact of a new fire hydrant?
WSRB Protection Class ratings of individual properties take into account several factors, including distance to a standard fire hydrant.
Newly installed hydrants improve firefighting capability and reduce fire risk in the area, enabling local fire departments to respond faster and with greater effectiveness.
The installation of a new fire hydrant in an area where there were none can enhance the PC rating for homes within a 1,000-foot radius. This change can potentially result in reduced homeowners' insurance premiums.
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How do I determine whether a hydrant is affecting my protection class?
Call our Customer Service team and they will provide you with information regarding the impact of a hydrant on your PC.
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