San Juan Island Fire District #3

What San Juan Island Fire District #3 does

San Juan Island Fire District #3 (operating as San Juan Island Fire and Rescue, SJIF&R) is a public fire protection district organized under Washington State law (RCW Title 52) that provides all-hazard emergency response services across nine islands in San Juan County, Washington, including San Juan, Brown, Henry, Johns, Pearl, Spieden, and Stuart Islands. The department operates as a combination career-and-volunteer organization with 8.25 full-time equivalents, 56 volunteers, and 65 total active members as of June 2025, delivering 24/7/365 coverage through nine fire stations plus equipment caches across 61 square miles, serving approximately 9,300 permanent residents and a summer effective population of 21,000. Core service offerings include structural and wildland firefighting, Level 1 HAZMAT response, vehicle extrication, search and rescue, emergency medical assists, and the only 24/7 marine emergency response capability (Fireboat 31) in the multi-county Salish Sea region, complemented by the Outer Island Brigade Program that has trained over 100 community first responders on remote islands since 2024.

The district's technology and equipment stack centers on operational firefighting and marine assets rather than software: a 35-foot Safe Boats International fireboat with twin 300 HP Yamaha outboards, 500 gpm Darley pump, thermal imaging, RADAR, and AIS; a fleet of 8 Type 1/Type 2 engines, a 65-foot Telesquirt aerial, 6 brush engines, 2 water tenders, a rescue vehicle, 2 UTVs, and 4 command vehicles. Community-facing programs include Wildfire Ready Neighbors (over 500 action plans delivered since May 2024), Firewise USA (33 recognized communities in the county), KnoxBox key access, smoke/CO alarm education, fire extinguisher training, and annual structural and wildland firefighter training academies.

The business model is tax-funded public service with no commercial pricing. Primary revenue comes from a voter-approved property tax levy of $0.70 per $1,000 of assessed value (generating $4,619,168 from the Regular Levy against a $6.6B assessed valuation), supplemented by grants (over $150,000 secured) and a 20-year levy lid-lift effective April 15, 2025. Governance is by an elected three-member Board of Fire Commissioners (Dwight Colley as Chair, Warren Appleton as Vice-Chair, Mike Coryell) with Fire Chief Noel Monin leading operations following his April 2024 appointment. The district maintains a WSRB Protection Class 6 rating and passed a clean Washington State Auditor's Office Accountability Audit covering 2022-2024. There are no API, software, or AI/ML product offerings.

Name

San Juan Island Fire District #3

Legal name

San Juan Fire District #3

Website

https://sjifire.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

San Juan Island Fire District #3 is a public fire protection district providing 24/7 all-hazard emergency response, marine rescue, and community risk reduction across nine islands in San Juan County, Washington, serving 9,300 permanent and 21,000 summer residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Fire protection services
• Emergency medical response
• Wildland firefighting
• Marine search rescue
• Hazardous materials response

Headquarters

HQ city

Friday Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Levy: Primary funding source from voter-approved property tax levy of $0.70 per $1,000 assessed value. District funding of $4,619,168 from regular levy based on assessed valuation of $6,598,811,946.
2. Grants and Equipment Deals: Secured over $150,000 in grant value supporting communications upgrades, protective gear, fleet expansion, and community risk reduction programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

San Juan Island Fire & Rescue is a public fire protection district providing 24/7 all-hazard emergency response across nine islands in San Juan County, Washington. Core services include structural and wildland firefighting, Level 1 HAZMAT response, vehicle extrication, search and rescue, emergency medical services, and marine emergency response through Fireboat 31. The district also delivers community risk-reduction programs (Wildfire Ready Neighbors, Firewise USA), fire prevention services (burn permits, KnoxBox key access, smoke/CO alarm guidance), and conducts fire safety inspections for local businesses across 61 square miles served by 9 fire stations.

Product overview

San Juan Island Fire & Rescue operates as a combination fire department providing emergency response and community safety services across nine islands. The core service portfolio centers on 24/7 emergency services including structural and wildland firefighting, marine response (Fireboat 31), and Level 1 HAZMAT capabilities. Supporting services include the Outer Island Brigades program for remote island response, community preparedness programs (Wildfire Ready Neighbors, Firewise USA), fire prevention services (burn permits, KnoxBox key access, smoke/CO alarms), and education programs (station tours, extinguisher training, home safety assessments). The department maintains 9 fire stations and operates a fleet of engines, brush engines, water tenders, rescue vehicles, and a marine vessel. Annual firefighter training academies provide certification in structural and wildland firefighting. No API or AI/ML product offerings exist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Services All-hazard emergency response services including structural and wildland firefighting, vehicle extrication, search and rescue, Level 1 HAZMAT response, and medical assists provided 24/7/365 throughout the fire district's 61 square miles.
• Marine Response with Fireboat 31 Marine emergency response using Fireboat 31, a 35-foot fast response vessel built by Safe Boats International with twin 300 HP Yamaha outboards, 500 gpm Darley water pump, thermal imaging, RADAR, AIS, and hydraulic bow door for patient retrieval, supporting search and rescue, fire suppression, EMS transport, and environmental response throughout district waterways.
• Outer Island Brigades Program Emergency response program bringing capabilities to remote islands through trained community volunteer brigades equipped with response vehicles and equipment on Brown, Henry, Johns, Pearl, Stuart, and Spieden Islands.
• Wildfire Ready Neighbors Program Free wildfire preparedness program providing personalized action plans and optional home assessments to help homeowners prepare properties for wildfire season in the wildland-urban interface.
• Firewise USA Participation National wildfire risk reduction program helping neighborhoods create defensible space and work together to reduce wildfire risk; San Juan County has 33 recognized Firewise communities.
• Burn Permits Outdoor burning permit system for residential and commercial burns with regulations covering recreational campfires, residential debris burning, and commercial vegetation clearing.
• KnoxBox Key Access High-security key safe program allowing first responders to quickly enter properties without forced entry; residential and commercial options available through San Juan Co Fire Dist #3.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Program Home safety program offering smoke and CO alarm installation guidance, safety checks, and education on proper placement and maintenance.
• Fire Extinguisher Training Training program teaching residents the PASS technique, proper extinguisher selection for different fire classes, and when to evacuate versus fight a fire.
• Education and Preparedness Programs Community education services including station tours, school and community presentations, home fire safety assessments, wildfire property assessments, and KnoxBox installation.
• Firefighter Training Academy Annual training academy providing certification in structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, first aid, rescue, and hazardous materials; 2026 academy includes Structural (Jan 3 – Apr 11) and Wildland (Apr 25 – May 3) components.

Quantifiable outcome

• 382 incidents responded to in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Town of Friday HarborcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for Small Business Fire Safety Program providing annual on-site fire and life safety inspections for local businesses. Also collaborated on wildland fire management and community risk reduction initiatives.
• Port of Friday HarborcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In collaboration with the Port of Friday Harbor, the department repositioned its fireboat and emergency cache for faster marine response capability.
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal contracts with DNR to provide fire coverage and pre-hospital care to outer islands. Partnered for Wildfire Ready Neighbors program launch in San Juan County. Also collaborated on wildland fire management following lightning strikes.
• US Coast Guard Sector Puget SoundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid arrangements for marine emergencies. Close working relationships maintained to ensure rapid, coordinated responses to maritime emergencies. Crew participates in joint training exercises.
• Islands' Oil Spill Association (IOSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOU maintained with IOSA to support environmental disaster response for oil spills and vessel sinkings.
• San Juan Island EMScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for EMS coordination. SJIF&R is the largest EMS agency in the district and one of six in the county.
• San Juan County Sheriff's DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination on search and rescue operations, law enforcement support during emergencies, and mutual aid responses.
• Orcas Island Fire & RescueminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMutual aid partner for emergency responses. Recruit academies conducted jointly with shared online and in-person training sessions including live-fire training.
• Lopez Island Fire & EMSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMutual aid partner for emergency responses. Participates in joint recruit academy training and response coordination.
• San Juan Islands Conservation DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on wildfire protection planning and excess biomass assessment (approximately 3 million tons of excess biomass in the islands).
• WA State ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on wildland fire management and beach fire mitigation. Participated in interagency wildland team exercises.
• San Juan County Land BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on island's first 'let-it-burn' wildland fire management following a lightning strike.
• San Juan Island Firefighters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuxiliary organization supporting firefighters through hardship grants, educational grants, gear stipends, and community events including Easter celebrations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Orcas Island Fire & Rescue: Mutual-aid partner and fellow San Juan County island fire department, providing emergency response across Orcas Island. Operates under a similar combination career/volunteer model with overlapping geographic and operational challenges.
• Bainbridge Island Fire Department: Puget Sound island fire department providing all-hazard response to an island community. Comparable in customer base (island residents, ferry-dependent access) and service portfolio.
• South San Juan Fire & Rescue: San Juan County-based fire district covering the southern islands, operating under similar Washington State RCW Title 52 fire protection district framework and serving a comparably rural island population.
• Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: Puget Sound island fire district serving a similarly dispersed island community via a combination paid/volunteer model. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and geographic constraints.
• San Juan Island EMS (SJIPHD#1): Local EMS partner agency within San Juan County with which SJIF&R consolidated EMS services. Operates in the same geography with overlapping emergency response responsibilities.
• Lopez Island Fire & EMS: San Juan County mutual-aid partner that conducts joint recruit academy training with SJIF&R. Comparable rural island fire and EMS provider serving a similar small permanent population.

Broad incumbents

• Eastside Fire & Rescue: Larger Washington State fire authority providing a comparable combination career/volunteer model across multiple jurisdictions. Useful as a scaling and operational benchmarking reference, though much larger and not island-based.

Others

• San Juan County Fire Marshal's Office: County-level fire prevention and code enforcement authority operating in the same geography as SJIF&R. Complementary rather than competitive, coordinating on inspections and fire code enforcement across the district.
• San Juan County Department of Emergency Management: County-wide emergency management agency coordinating disaster preparedness, response, and recovery across the San Juan Islands. Partners with SJIF&R on wildfire, marine, and all-hazard planning.

Regional players

• North Mason Regional Fire Authority: Washington-based regional fire authority serving a similar rural-island-and-waterfront population mix. Comparable funding structure (voter-approved levies) and combination staffing model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SJIFire
• Instagraminstagram.com/sjifire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-juan-island-fire-district-3

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Juan Island Fire District #3