Our Mission: “Committed to excellence, service, and the protection of life and property in our community.” |
Contact Us
Our Mission: “Committed to excellence, service, and the protection of life and property in our community.”
Our Mission: “Committed to excellence, service, and the protection of life and property in our community.” |
Contact Us“My Washoe County colleagues and I appreciate the opportunity to meet collectively with our local leaders from the Cities of Reno and Sparks to discuss how we can continue to enhance our fire and emergency medical service response throughout our communities. We all agree that residents don’t care whose logo is on the engine that arrives during a crisis,” said Alexis Hill, Chair of the Washoe County Board of Commissioners and Chair of Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.
“Public safety will always be the highest priority and is a fundamental public service that all citizens expect and trust their local government to provide. Whether it is providing the technology to improve dispatch operations to implementing unrestricted automatic aid, these are just some potential remedies I look forward to studying and exploring in an effort to improve our local fire and EMS response. We have asked our managers and fire chiefs to research and report back in the next month to our boards on what the next steps might be, and we will continue to collaborate and share resources and ultimately provide the best service and response times for all our citizens while ensuring responsible fiscal stewardship to our citizens,” Chair Hill said.
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Davis Fire News Release
Monday, September 9, 2024 @ 6:30 p.m.
Starting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Davis Fire information is now being shared on the following information platforms:
Incident Information
The Davis Fire is estimated at 5,000 acres, containment remains at 0 percent. Fourteen structures are currently known to be impacted, and damage assessments will continue in the impacted area of the Davis fire when it is safe to do so. Fire crews continue full suppression efforts, prioritizing the protection of life, property, and critical infrastructure.
Southwest Area Incident Management Team 1, a Complex Incident Management Team, assumed management of the fire at 6 p.m. this evening. Southwest Incident Management Team 1 will be helping increase the management capabilities for this fire while continuing to work with local agencies. A community briefing is being planned for Tuesday, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. at Depoali Middle School, 9300 Wilbur May Parkway, Reno, NV 89521.
Today, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo visited the fire, thanking firefighters and cooperating agencies for all their hard work and support of the incident. Washoe County Commissioner, Alexis Hill toured the fire area and expressed her gratitude for the fire fighters.
Firefighters’ main objective today is working to keep the Davis Fire south and east of the Mt. Rose Highway. On the northern flank of the fire, crews continue to construct hand line and secure the fire perimeter. On the southern boundary of the fire, crews continue to mop up hotspots and around structures. The west and north flank of the fire remains active, dozers and hand crews are constructing fire line and going direct when possible. Scooper aircraft assisted on the fire today, dropping water in conjunction with hand line and dozer line construction.
A red flag warning for high winds is forecasted for tomorrow, with Wednesday expected to be the strongest prior to passage of a cold front. Smoke will continue to be visible in the Reno area from increased fire activity during high wind events. Check out the Fire and Smoke Map (airnow.gov) for more information on air quality.
In the interest of public and firefighter safety, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District is asking the public to refrain from recreating in the Mt. Rose corridor from Tahoe Meadows and east towards the fire.
Evacuation areas have not changed and remain in effect. The evacuations currently are north and south of Nevada State Route 431 (Mt. Rose Highway) to include Arrow Creek, Montreux, St. James Village, West Washoe Valley, Galena Terrace, Sky Tavern, Mt. Rose Ski Resort, and Logan Meadows. For more detail evacuation locations visit: www.perimetermap.com or InciWeb. Evacuations levels are being evaluated to determine when and where it is safe to reduce them.
There is an evacuation center is at the Senior Center located at 1155 E 9th Street in Reno, and Washoe County Regional Animal Services has mobile shelters on site for small animals. Large animals can be taken to the University of Reno Equestrian Center in Reno or Fuji Park in Carson City.
Washoe County Animal Control is available recover pets and large animals in the evacuation area by calling 775-322-3647 #1 (8 a.m.-10 p.m.). Dispatch will need the address, description of animal, where it is located on the property, and number of animals.
NV Energy has restored power to several thousand customers. At the peak there were 17,000 customers without power. Currently, there are 3,116 customers without power, which include those who are closest to the fire and where powerline infrastructure has been damaged and is being repaired. To learn more about outage preparation visit: www.nvenergy.com/outages-and-emergencies/outage-preparation-tips.
Old U.S. Highway 395 is open from Mt. Rose Highway to East Lake Boulevard but remains closed from East Lake Boulevard to Bowers Mansion Interchange. U.S. Route 431 (Mt Rose Highway is still closed. For updates on road closures, visit: https://www.nvroads.com/.
Please use caution when traveling in the area as emergency vehicles and fire apparatus are entering and exiting roadways and power outages have impacted some traffic signals.
Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest are currently in unified command in management of the fire, with Southwest Complex Incident Management Team 1 assuming management tonight at 6 p.m. Cooperating agencies assisting in the fire include Reno Fire Department, Sparks Fire Department, Carson City Fire Department, Cal Fire, East Fork Fire Protection District, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Bureau of Land Management, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, NV Energy and Nevada Division of Transportation.
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Reno, NV – May 21, 2024. Today, the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) adopted the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25 budget. Estimated general fund expenditures are $53,312,244 million, an increase of 20 percent from the estimated current fiscal year ending June 30, 2024. Total general fund revenues are estimated at $51,608,814 million, an increase of 9 percent from the estimated current year.
“All ten fire stations will remain fully staffed and operational in the coming fiscal year,” said Fire Chief Charles Moore. “We look forward to continuing to provide a high level of emergency medical services, fire and rescue response for our citizens in our Fire District.”
The Fire District is funded by a designated property tax in unincorporated Washoe County, consolidated sales tax (primarily sales tax). The jurisdiction of TMFPD is approximately 1,000 square miles and is a large and geographically diverse service area. The Fire District also provides service north into unincorporated Washoe County.
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Reno, NV. September 7, 2023 – Our region is prone to the potential of disasters including wildfires, floods, and earthquakes. September is National Preparedness Month, and Washoe County, City of Reno, City of Sparks, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, and REMSA Health remind residents to be prepared in case a disaster strikes. We all have a role to play when it comes to an emergency incident.
STAY INFORMED
Local public and first responder agencies encourage residents to sign up for Code Red, a reverse 9-1-1 system that will notify citizens of emergency and evacuation information. Recently, Washoe County Emergency Management enhanced emergency notifications with Perimeter, a new mapping software that allows first responders to enter incident locations and draw a perimeter around evacuation zones or map road closures, and instantly share with the public.
Traditional means of notification remain important today such as the Emergency Alert System (EAS), a national warning system allowing authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite, or broadcast television, and both AM/FM and satellite radio.
Additionally, public agencies rely on our local media partners to report timely emergency information. Check all types of media – internet, newspapers, radio, TV – for local information and updates. Regional governments and first responder organizations in the Truckee Meadows have made it a priority to disseminate timely and important emergency information through social media and other digital means.
If conditions warrant and are safe, as a last resort, first responders may travel through neighborhoods with sirens and may go door to door to notify residents of imminent evacuations and other important messages.
EVACUATIONS
Citizens have responsibilities in an emergency. It is important to remember that if you are asked to evacuate, you have minutes, not hours. You must heed the calls of first responders and go! First responders often have little time to follow up and ensure nearby residents evacuate once announcements are made to leave their homes and neighborhoods.
Know your escape route(s) and all options available to exit your community. Prepare ahead of time a plan of how you will leave, and where you will go, and practice.
It is important to prepare for a power outage. Know how to open your automatic garage door or entry gate should the power fail. Have flashlights with fresh batteries on hand. Stay calm.
Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation. It is also critical to ensure you have prescription medications on hand. Make plans with your family and friends in case you’re not together during an emergency. Discuss how you’ll contact each other, where you’ll meet, and what you’ll do in different situations. Participate in practice drills with loved ones.
If you have neighbors with disabilities or elderly, hard of hearing, or sight impaired, reach out and help them become informed and prepared.
Have a plan in place for pets. If local officials ask you to evacuate, that means your pet should evacuate too. If you leave your pets behind, they may end up lost, injured, or worse.
Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters. Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of a wildfire, powerful storm or other catastrophic events that disrupt our daily lives. They should be ready to evacuate their homes, take refuge in public shelters or have other accommodations planned, and know how to care for their basic medical needs.
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Reno, NV. March 8, 2023 – Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue (TMFR) has announced two locations for the spring green waste disposal, accommodating residents that live in the south and north of the greater Reno-Sparks area.
Green Waste Collection Days offer the best alternative to creating defensible space and offer Washoe County residents to dispose of their dry and dead vegetation, shrubs, tree branches, and other wildland fuels to encourage the creation of defensible space to protect homes and property from wildfires. This is a free event sponsored by the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District for all Washoe County residents, with support from NV Energy, Nevada Division of Forestry, Living With Fire (UNR Cooperative Extension), and Fire Adapted Nevada.
Green Waste Collection will take place beginning at 9am until 4pm, weather permitting at the following locations (check this website prior to the event to ensure it has not been canceled due to weather conditions or a Red Flag Warning):
April 8 & 9 Washoe Valley
Nevada Division of Forestry Fire Station, 885 Eastlake Blvd, Washoe Valley
April 22 & 23 Lemmon Valley
Lemmon Valley Station, 130 Nectar Street, Reno
Examples of accepted items include junipers, pines, rabbitbrush, sagebrush, and other woody vegetation.
ONLY natural vegetation, please. Items we will NOT accept include household garbage and trash, lumber/treated wood, hazardous materials, grass clippings, vegetation mixed with dirt and gravel, and stumps with root balls. Tree stumps more than 8 inches in diameter will not be accepted. Additionally, we cannot accept items in bags. Bags must be emptied on-site and removed. No commercial waste will be accepted from contractors or landscape companies.
Please do not dispose of waste outside of assigned hours. Discarding waste outside of operating hours will be considered illegal dumping. Please dispose of items only during the Green Waste Collection hours.
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Reno, NV (March 7, 2023) – Details for tomorrow’s (Wednesday, March 8) memorial procession for the Crew of Care Flight Fixed-Wing 56 for members of the public to pay their respects along the route.
The procession will start at Walton’s Funeral Home located at Vine and 2nd Street and will end at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 South Virginia Street.
The procession will start at 12:45 pm and will arrive no later than 1:15 pm.
Procession Route Segment:
Minimal traffic disruptions will occur along the route. There will be no formal departure procession following the ceremony.
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Reno, NV, Nov. 18, 2022 – We want our Washoe County families to have a safe Thanksgiving and holiday season. Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment.
Here are some tips to follow that will assure the safety of you and your loved ones this Thanksgiving:
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, and the day before Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day had more than three times as many fires when compared to a typical day in the U.S., according to the NFPA.
In 2019, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,400 home cooking fires on Thanksgiving, the peak day for such fires. Unattended cooking is by far the leading contributing factor in cooking fires and fire deaths. Cooking equipment was involved in almost half of all reported home fires and home fire injuries, and it is the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
On behalf of the firefighters and staff at Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue, we wish our residents a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. We are thankful to serve you!
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By Fire Chief Charles Moore, Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue
Wildfires are dangerous and chaotic, especially when they occur in residential areas as we have witnessed in the last few fire seasons.
Viewing an attack on a wildfire is no doubt a fascinating visual. The intricate coordination that air tankers and helicopters perform from the air can be an amazing experience to watch up close. And observing fire engines maneuver into place gives residents comfort that firefighters are on the scene. However, the longer our residents delay evacuation after an order is given, the greater are the complications for the firefighting effort.
Conflicts between fire equipment and citizens leaving at the same time is what we want to avoid. For instance, fire hoses, once pressurized cannot be driven over. Vehicles break the hose which compromises the suppression effort as well as puts firefighters in a dangerous position. Multiple fire engines may also block roadways.
Firefighters must make rapid decisions on where to deploy apparatus and fire hose, along with identifying structures to protect. Our fire crews are focused on coordinating resources in the air, and on the ground. First responders often have little time to follow-up and ensure nearby residents evacuate once announcements are made to leave their homes and neighborhoods.
If we can protect you in place, we will, but the strategy behind fighting wildland fires is much like playing chess. We try to anticipate what is going to happen a few moves down the chess board based on terrain and weather conditions. At times, we may order evacuations that are more extensive than might have been required.
As sometimes happens, if we order evacuations that are greater than might have been necessary, residents may question the necessity of the order. However, if we underestimate and people get trapped by fire, we may have to count foundations, or worse. Therefore, we will always err on the side of safety.
When you receive notification to evacuate, we respectfully ask our residents to follow the order and leave the neighborhood. We recognize the stress and uncertainty that an evacuation can cause our citizens, and we do everything we can to minimize the inconvenience. In most cases, residents can return in a matter of a few hours. Law enforcement will also provide a significant presence to safeguard your homes.
Citizens should know how to respond to wildfire or any disaster that could occur in your area – weather events, flooding, or man-made disasters. Prepare to be self-sufficient for at least three days. This may mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water, and sanitation. Make plans with your family and friends in case you’re not together during an emergency. Discuss how you’ll contact each other, where you’ll meet, and what you’ll do in different situations. Check all types of media – internet, newspapers, radio, TV – for local information and updates.
The fall is especially a critical time to prepare because fuels are drying out and wind events can be intense. Be safe!
