Washoe County regional fire study kicks off; consultants outline timeline, dispatch upgrades and finance review

The Regional Fire Service Study Board on Feb. 2 heard a joint presentation from the chiefs of the City of Sparks, City of Reno and Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and an introduction from consultants Emergent Global Solutions, which will conduct a statutory study of regional fire and emergency medical services.

Walter White, fire chief of the City of Sparks, summarized the region's service roles: "All 3 agencies provide 5 essential public services, fire suppression, emergency medical service, hazardous materials mitigation, technical rescue, and community risk reduction, also known as fire prevention." He traced the region's recent history, including the 2000 interlocal consolidation, the 2012 operational separation and the passage of Senate Bill 319, which established the study board.

Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran said operational integration historically allowed the city to control assets and staffing and deliver what he called "more efficient and intentional" service. Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Chief Richard Edwards reviewed the district's statutory basis (NRS 4 74), the 1972 formation of the district and later consolidation steps that changed tax rates and governance structures.

Mark Ghilarducci, president of Emergent Global Solutions, said the firm will build on prior local studies rather than duplicate them and will carry out the tasks in the board's RFP, including financial modeling and stakeholder engagement. "We're not gonna redo work for the sake of redoing work," Rick Martinez of the consultant team said, adding that the firm will revalidate earlier analyses and seek public input.

Board members focused questions on three central themes the presenters identified: governance, funding and dispatch interoperability. On technology and dispatch, the chiefs said the region currently operates multiple dispatch centers and that Hexagon has been selected to provide a modern computer-aided dispatch platform and allow AVL-based visibility of closest units; presenters stressed that interoperable dispatch would solve many operational inefficiencies. "Hexagon was selected," a chief said during the presentation.

Consultants described a timetable of stakeholder workshops and public engagement, saying internal meetings begin immediately, outreach and workshops will follow this spring and summer, a draft public presentation is expected in September, and the final study is to be completed to meet the December 2026 statutory deadline. Consultants told the board they intend to present scenario-based financial models, phased implementation costs and an assessment of potential impacts on insurance availability and affordability.

Board members also emphasized public communication and the need to explain funding trade-offs clearly. Member Brandy Anderson asked that the consultants produce an "a la carte" set of options: what it would cost to regionalize administrative and prevention functions, to move to a consolidated department, or to preserve local identity while aligning services.

The board did not take formal votes on policy at the meeting. The study will return to the board for iterative feedback as consultants collect data and draft recommendations.