Next week the Washoe County Commissioners will meet to discuss and receive public comment regarding important pending fire service issues. At their regularly-scheduled County Commission meeting on April 12th, the Board will convene as the Sierra Fire and Truckee Meadows Boards of Fire Commissioners to receive a presentation of the final draft of the Regional Standard of Cover (SOC) for Washoe County which covers the unincorporated Washoe County and the City of Reno areas. The draft Regional SOC compares policy standards for appropriate fire emergency service response based on land use designation. The issue was previously discussed at the Board’s meeting on May 8th, , and at that time the Commissioners requested that the Regional SOC include additional analysis for 5 to 20 minute response times (in 5 minute increments) in suburban verses rural areas and be brought back to them. Acting as the fire boards, the County Commission has the authority to set the standard for response to the unincorporated areas of the County which includes Sierra Fire, Truckee Meadows Fire and areas in northern Washoe County, and may take action to do so at their meeting on April 12th. The Regional SOC takes into consideration the local fire resources within the area governed by the Boards as part of the evaluation of response times and available resources to determine best use of current resources in the area to serve our community, and includes information from a recently completed SOC for the City of Reno. Prior to the Board’s meeting on April 12th, elected officials from the City of Reno and Washoe County will meet as the Joint Fire Advisory Board (JFAB) to discuss the same. That meeting will also be held in the County Commission Chambers but will begin at 2 p.m.

Both agenda items represent another important step in a long term process to identify ways to improve fire services to residents in Washoe County as requested by the Washoe County Commission. The project was initiated with an updated Fire Master Plan (www.washoecounty.us/mgrsoff/fireplan.html). For additional information on the Regional Standard of Cover or to participate in the discussion, please visit the county’s website at www.washoecounty.us

Sierra Fire Arrowcreek Fire Station: Also schedule for the County Commission’s April 12th meeting, the Board, acting as the Sierra Fire Board of Fire Commissioners, may take action to move forward on construction of a new fire station in the Arrowcreek area after reviewing the status of a Federal Emergency Management Act grant and available staff resources .

In September of 2010, the County received award notice of an American Resource and Recovery (stimulus funding) grant to construct a new fire station in the Arrowcreek vicinity. Construction bids for the station exceeded the FEMA grant award an average of $600,000. At the May 8th Sierra Fire Board of Commissioners meeting, staff was directed to contact FEMA to determine if the grant could be supplemented. In addition, the Commission directed the SFPD Chief to explore other options for funding and staffing the station considering fiscal limitations in the current economic climate.

Also on the Tuesday Sierra Fire Board of Commissioners agenda are the possible acceptance of a Nevada Fire Safe Council grant for fuels management on public property, a contract agreement with North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District to manage the Sierra Fire Seasonal fuels crew, and a proclamation recognizing the contribution of volunteer fire fighters to Washoe County.

The meeting will be held during the Board of County Commissioners meeting, Tuesday, April 12 beginning at 10 a.m. It is held in the Chambers, Building A, 1001 E. 9th Street, Reno.