CITY OF RENO NEWS RELEASE
The city of Reno has been notified that due to funding limitations our request for a Federal Department of Emergency Management Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant will not be funded, which will likely result in changes to Reno Fire Department operations.
“While this news is disappointing, the Reno Fire Department will continue to provide a high level of service to the citizens of Reno and support the priorities of the City Council to provide safe and livable neighborhoods and provide efficient and responsive city services,” City Manager Andrew Clinger says. “We knew this was a possibility, and we’ve been working on a restructuring plan for some time to ensure the continued safety of our citizens.”
The restructuring plan includes the following components:
- Station Number 10/North Virginia Street will be added to the two stations currently being browned-out on a regular basis (Somersett/19 and Skyline/7).
- Based upon data-driven workload analysis, we are confident that the districts currently being served by any stations required to be browned out will continue to be served within acceptable response times.
- This plan will allow the operational flexibility to open all stations when conditions warrant.
- Notice of layoffs of up to 35 personnel will be initiated on May 1, giving the employees impacted 60 days notice prior to separation of service.
“Our primary concern in this situation is for the 35 firefighters and their families who will be directly affected by these decisions,” Clinger says. “Impacted employees will be connected with an internal transition team to provide them with support resources.”
SAFER grants were created to provide federal funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations to help them increase or maintain the number of trained firefighters available in their communities.
