By james art Today, October 23, the City of Reno and the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority announced the approval of an interlocal agreement.
The agreement brings the city and airport fire departments together to meet the needs of the growing community and the airport.
You may remember when the Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue Department and the Reno Fire Department reached an automatic aid agreement, allowing the nearest units from each department to respond regardless of jurisdiction.
The interlocal agreement was approved by the RTTA Board of Trustees last month and by the Reno City Council earlier today.
Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran says, “The Reno Fire Department is absorbing the airport fire department and what it does is if you look at the region like the airport and the city, it gives us the ability to provide the best service, the maximum service for this region and can really serve as an example of what a regional approach to fire service can be.’
The combination of the two fire departments creates depth of resources and a seamless dispatch process.
This agreement will also allow the use of combined equipment.
Chief Cochran says, “The Reno Fire Department has ladder trucks that the airport doesn’t have, so that equipment and that resource that we have is a benefit to the airport because we can respond whether it’s evacuating an airplane and access to some of the taller structures around there.”
Chris Jensen, the Airport Authority’s chief operations and public safety officer, added: “We’ve always had a really strong airport rescue, firefighter and fire service. What we’ve never had before is a full fire response for high-rise hotels and large industrial complexes, so partnering with the city of Reno gives us the ability to respond to all these types of facilities that we’ve really never been able to before.”
Having a combination of the two fire departments will reduce delay and confusion when responding to a call, which in turn will make emergency response more efficient and effective.
Chief Cochran explains, “The growth in and around the city and the growth in particular of the airport properties, much of which is commercial or industrial, creates a greater impact on the region, and it’s a regional impact because the airport is in the middle of the city limits. .. so growth wherever it occurs will affect public safety.
Jensen also says, “It gives the airport fire department, we have millions of people who fly every year, the same level of service that they would expect here in downtown Reno.”
Airport Authority firefighters will now be employees of the city of Reno and will be able to keep their positions.
Jensen adds, “It’s a very complex process when you’re trying to bring the two organizations together … so there were a lot of details that had to be worked out.”
Chief Cochran mentions that this merger could be a model for future regional opportunities in terms of emergency services growth.