A good grade for La Conner Fire Dept.

La Conner’s Volunteer Fire Department was excited to learn that the town’s fire protection rating has improved.

What this means for homeowners is the possibility of obtaining better rates on their homeowners fire insurance.

Fire Chief Josh Morrison said that when the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau conducted an audit earlier this month, he thought it went well.

Later, he learned that the town’s fire protection rating has gone from a 7 to a 6 — in this case, the lower the number the better on a scale of 1 to 10.

“I am really proud of our firefighters,” Mayor Ramon Hayes said.

Chief Morrison said the elements that contributed to the better rating include the new fire truck, training records and the duty shift implementation that has the fire station staffed all night every night.

Also, he gives credit to retired Fire Chief Dan Taylor and to La Conner’s Public Works Director Brian Lease for providing precise information on the town’s water resources, including fire hydrants. “Brian was a huge part of the success,” Morrison said.

The new rating takes effect July 1 and can have a positive impact on fire insurance rates for everyone within the town limits.

Morrison said the fire department is rated every five years, but he intends to request another rating in a year or so because he expects improvements to continue and believes the town’s rating number will keep moving in the right direction.