Central Whidbey Island fire & Rescue

What Central Whidbey Island fire & Rescue does

Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue (CWIFR) is a public fire protection district headquartered at 1164 Race Road in Coupeville, Washington, providing fire suppression, emergency medical services (Basic Life Support ambulance), technical rescue, hazardous materials response, auto extrication, and community safety education to approximately 9,000 residents across 50 square miles of central Whidbey Island. The organization operates under a hybrid "Three-Legged Stool" staffing model combining full-time, part-time, and volunteer personnel across two fire stations (Station 53 in Coupeville and Station 54 in Greenbank), responding to roughly 1,715 calls per year of which 60% are EMS-related. Core technical assets include Rosenbauer fire engines, Holmatro hydraulic extrication tools, mechanical CPR devices, and the newly expanded 13,000 sq. ft. Station 53 facility featuring negative-pressure gear-washer rooms and dedicated clean-gear storage designed to reduce firefighter carcinogen exposure.

The district is governed by an elected Board of Fire Commissioners and funded primarily through voter-approved property tax levies (currently $0.86 per $1,000 of assessed value, with a November 2023 lid lift to $1.18, plus a $0.15 ongoing bond rate) and a long-standing Interlocal Agreement with WhidbeyHealth (Whidbey Island Hospital District) under which the hospital pays approximately $201,495 per BLS ambulance per year for staffing. Additional revenue-adjacent services include fire code inspections, outdoor burning permit administration, home safety surveys, and CPR/first aid certification training. The district maintains a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's — one of the few fire districts in the nation at this tier — and has received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for 12 consecutive years. CWIFR also partners with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue on joint all-hazards mobilization, participates in the Whidbey Island First Responders Coalition, and engages with UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute on firefighter safety research.

Service territory and political governance place CWIFR in a position of structural incumbency: competing emergency service providers cannot encroach on the statutorily defined service area, and revenue risk is electoral rather than commercial. Recent strategic action has been oriented toward capacity expansion to absorb 50% call-volume growth since 2012, executed through the November 2023 levy lid lift, the March 2024 Station 53 grand opening, and the 2021 delivery of three Rosenbauer engines. Leadership transitioned in late 2022/early 2023 with Fire Chief Jerry Helm succeeding Ed Hartin following Hartin's 12-year tenure.

Name

Central Whidbey Island fire & Rescue

Legal name

Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue

Website

https://cwfire.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue is a public fire protection district in Coupeville, Washington, providing fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, and community safety education to approximately 9,000 residents across 50 square miles of central Whidbey Island through a hybrid full-time, part-time, and volunteer staffing model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Fire suppression services
• Emergency medical response
• Technical rescue operations
• Hazmat incident response
• Community fire safety

Headquarters

HQ city

Coupeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Levy: Primary funding source through voter-approved property tax levies. Current fire levy rate is $0.86 per $1,000 of assessed property value, with a proposed lid lift to $1.18. Also operates under an ongoing bond rate of 15 cents per $1,000.
2. Interlocal Agreement - WhidbeyHealth: Partnership agreement with Whidbey Island Hospital District for staffing Basic Life Support ambulances, receiving approximately $201,495 per ambulance per year as of 2019.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and community safety education to approximately 9,000 residents across 50 square miles on Whidbey Island, Washington. The district operates from two fire stations and delivers response coverage through a hybrid "Three-Legged Stool" staffing model that combines full-time, part-time, and volunteer personnel.

Product overview

Central Whidbey Island Fire & Rescue provides comprehensive emergency response and public safety services across 50 square miles of central Whidbey Island, Washington. The organization operates as a hybrid fire department combining volunteer, part-time, and full-time personnel to deliver fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and community safety education. Core services include 24/7 emergency response for fire and medical emergencies (approximately 1,715 annual calls with 60% being EMS-related), CPR and first aid certification training, home safety surveys, fire code inspections, and outdoor burning permit administration. The department maintains two fire stations and operates specialized equipment including Holmatro hydraulic rescue tools and mechanical CPR devices. Community engagement programs include Santa Mobile neighborhood tours, participation in local festivals, and free safety education resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Responds to 1,715 calls per year with 60% being EMS calls
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WhidbeyHealth (Whidbey Island Hospital District)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Since 2008, CWIFR and North Whidbey Fire and Rescue partnered with WhidbeyHealth to staff Basic Life Support ambulances for the hospital through an Interlocal Agreement. CWIFR staffs one ambulance with a mix of full-time and part-time Firefighter/EMTs. In 2019, WhidbeyHealth paid $201,495 per ambulance. This partnership improved emergency response efficiency and provided higher level of service for lower cost.
• North Whidbey Fire and Rescue (NWFR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterlocal agreement to provide joint staffing of apparatus for state all hazards mobilization. Executed partnership enabling split CWIFR/NWFR crews on deployments such as Engine 512 assigned to the Bordeaux Fire in Thurston County.
• Whidbey Island First Responders CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of first responders including Island County Sheriff's Office, Oak Harbor Police, Langley Police, Washington State Patrol, ICOM 911 Dispatch, North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, Oak Harbor Fire Department, South Whidbey Fire/EMS, and Lifeflight. Organized 'Hustle with Heroes' charity run for local Boys and Girls Club.
• UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (UL FSRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief Hartin served as member of UL FSRI Advisory Board. CWIFR uses UL FSRI research to improve firefighter safety and effectiveness of services provided to the community.
• Northwest Clean Air AgencyminorOthersCoordinates on outdoor burning regulations, burn bans, and air quality compliance. Issues verbal permits for burns under 4 feet and works with Island County Public Health for larger burns.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Oak Harbor Fire Department: Municipal fire department serving the City of Oak Harbor on northern Whidbey Island. Provides overlapping fire and EMS response within Island County and partners with CWIFR/NWFR through regional coalitions.
• Camano Island Fire Rescue: Island County fire district serving Camano Island with a similar hybrid volunteer/paid staffing approach, comparable call volume profile, and analogous property-tax funding structure.
• South Whidbey Fire/EMS: Fire and EMS district serving the southern portion of Whidbey Island with an analogous volunteer/combination staffing model and similar rural service area. Member of the Whidbey Island First Responders Coalition alongside CWIFR.
• North Whidbey Fire and Rescue: Neighboring Island County fire district that is a formal partner through interlocal agreements for joint apparatus staffing and BLS ambulance coverage. Operates the same hybrid staffing model serving a comparable rural-Island demographic.

Broad incumbents

• Falck USA: International emergency services and ambulance provider operating municipal fire and EMS contracts in California and the western US. Similar integrated fire/EMS delivery model but as a private contractor rather than a tax-funded district.
• Rural Metro Fire (now part of American Medical Response): Former commercial fire and EMS provider now under Global Medical Response that operates paid municipal fire/EMS contracts across the western US. Comparable service scope (fire suppression, EMS, rescue) but delivered under contract rather than as a public district.

Regional players

• Marysville Fire District: Snohomish County fire authority serving the Marysville area of Western Washington. Comparable combination fire/EMS agency in the same regional ecosystem as CWIFR, with overlapping apparatus and response protocols.

Others

• Washington Survey and Rating Bureau (WSRB): Independent rating organization that evaluated and improved CWIFR's protection class. Functions as an industry gatekeeper and benchmarking body relevant to fire district operations and insurance economics.
• WhidbeyHealth (Whidbey Island Hospital District): Public hospital district that is CWIFR's largest operational partner via interlocal agreements to staff BLS ambulances. Adjacent in the EMS value chain rather than a direct competitor.
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): Industry association that sets operational and training standards for fire/EMS agencies like CWIFR. Relevant as the ecosystem of professional practice, training certification, and policy advocacy shaping small fire districts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xcwfire.org/news/latest-on-twitter
• Facebookfacebook.com/cwfirerescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Central Whidbey Island fire & Rescue