Community Articles (listed by posting date)
General News · 14th September 2026
Eli
CIFFA is proud to announce that on Saturday our department successfully completed testing for Superior Tanker Shuttle Service (STSS) accreditation through Fire Underwriters Survey. This is a significant milestone for fire protection on Cortes Island, and one that we have been working towards for many years.
For communities like ours without municipal hydrants, STSS accreditation is the recognized equivalent to hydrant protection. It certifies that our department can deliver water to a fire scene via tanker shuttle from an approved source at a rate that meets the same standard insurers use to grade hydrant-served communities. Passing this test meant proving we could move 200 Imperial gallons per minute within five minutes of arrival, sustain that supply without interruption, and do it reliably, not just once but as a documented, repeatable capability.
None of this happens without the people who show up. This accreditation reflects hundreds of hours of training and practice by our volunteer firefighters who gave up their evenings and weekends over the past year to build and prove out this capability, on top of everything else they already do for this community. It also reflects countless hours of work behind the scenes over many years: water supply planning, grant writing and fundraising, infrastructure and equipment upgrades, and the planning and coordination it takes to pull off a tanker shuttle operation under test conditions. We're grateful to everyone who has made this a reality, including support from the SRD, generous community donations, and to Ann Dewar for providing a site for the Sutil Pt Rd tanks.
What does this mean for residents? Properties within 8 km by road of either fire hall, and 5 km by road of one of the three approved tank sites (the two fire halls plus the tank site at 448 Sutil Pt Rd.) will now fall within the accredited protection area, and become eligible for improved property insurance rates. We want to be careful here: Fire Underwriters Survey doesn't set insurance rates directly, and individual insurers apply this information on their own timelines and in their own way. It will also still be 2 -3 months before the paperwork is completed, and new policies reflect the change. So while we're confident this will translate into substantial savings for many households in the protected area, we'd encourage residents to check with their own insurance provider to understand how it applies to their policy.
This accreditation is a credit to everyone who put in the work to get us here — and a reminder of what a small, dedicated volunteer department can accomplish. Thank you, Cortes Island, for your continued support of your fire department.
— Elijah McKenty, Chief, Cortes Island Fire Department
For communities like ours without municipal hydrants, STSS accreditation is the recognized equivalent to hydrant protection. It certifies that our department can deliver water to a fire scene via tanker shuttle from an approved source at a rate that meets the same standard insurers use to grade hydrant-served communities. Passing this test meant proving we could move 200 Imperial gallons per minute within five minutes of arrival, sustain that supply without interruption, and do it reliably, not just once but as a documented, repeatable capability.
None of this happens without the people who show up. This accreditation reflects hundreds of hours of training and practice by our volunteer firefighters who gave up their evenings and weekends over the past year to build and prove out this capability, on top of everything else they already do for this community. It also reflects countless hours of work behind the scenes over many years: water supply planning, grant writing and fundraising, infrastructure and equipment upgrades, and the planning and coordination it takes to pull off a tanker shuttle operation under test conditions. We're grateful to everyone who has made this a reality, including support from the SRD, generous community donations, and to Ann Dewar for providing a site for the Sutil Pt Rd tanks.
What does this mean for residents? Properties within 8 km by road of either fire hall, and 5 km by road of one of the three approved tank sites (the two fire halls plus the tank site at 448 Sutil Pt Rd.) will now fall within the accredited protection area, and become eligible for improved property insurance rates. We want to be careful here: Fire Underwriters Survey doesn't set insurance rates directly, and individual insurers apply this information on their own timelines and in their own way. It will also still be 2 -3 months before the paperwork is completed, and new policies reflect the change. So while we're confident this will translate into substantial savings for many households in the protected area, we'd encourage residents to check with their own insurance provider to understand how it applies to their policy.
This accreditation is a credit to everyone who put in the work to get us here — and a reminder of what a small, dedicated volunteer department can accomplish. Thank you, Cortes Island, for your continued support of your fire department.
— Elijah McKenty, Chief, Cortes Island Fire Department
