Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue works with the Town of Coupeville, and the 16 other water districts and private water systems within the District that have fire hydrants to ensure that hydrants are operational and that we have solid information on the volume and flow available for firefighting.

A key element of this process is annual inspection of fire hydrants to ensure that the caps on hydrant outlets can be easily removed, that the hydrant can easily be opened and closed, that the hydrant drains properly so that it will not freeze in the winter, and verifying static pressure (pressure with no water flow). In addition to annual inspection, we generally flow test hydrants in coordination with the water system every four years to verify the available water flow rate.

These inspections and tests are required by the Washington Survey and Rating Bureau, the organization that sets the fire insurance ratings for our community. Completing these tests is a key element in maintaining or improving our fire insurance rating.