Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting Highlights

TMFPD announces Defensible Space Waste Collection in November

Reno, Nev. October 16, 2018 – To follow are highlights from today’s monthly Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting of the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD):

Green Waste Collection and Defensible Space – Fire Chief Charles Moore announced that the Fire District will host two Green Waste Collection Days in November that will allow residents to dispose of their dry and dead vegetation, shrubs, tree branches, and other wildland fuels in an effort to encourage the creation of defensible space to protect homes and property for wildfires.  In addition, green waste is reduced to composite and helps air quality levels as an alternative to burning.

Now that autumn has arrived, the Fire District strongly encourages residents to create defensible space.  Conditions remain dry, and open burning is expected to remain prohibited in Washoe County this fall.  TMFPD’s Green Waste Collection Days offer the best alternative to create defensible space.

Defensible space is the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects homes and property from catching fire, either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home.

Washoe County residents should take action and create this space by pruning or cutting back trees branches and shrubs, and remove dead grass and weeds.  In addition, green waste is reduced to composite and helps air quality levels as an alternative to burning.

Items can be accepted on the following dates/times and locations:

• Saturday, November 10, 8am-1pm, Silver Lake Volunteer Station 221, 11525 Red Rock Road, Stead
• Saturday, November 10, 8am-1pm, Lemmon Valley Station 223, 130 Nectar Street
• Saturday, November 17, 8am-1pm, Station 16, 1240 E. Lake Boulevard, Washoe Valley

Station Identifications – Chief Moore announced that all TMFPD fire stations will be identified with new numbers/designators.  The change is currently limited to internal operations in the Fire District, and there will be no change or impacts to fire and rescue services to the public.  Publicly, the District will still refer to TMFPD fire stations to their geographical area such the Sun Valley Station, or the Verdi/Mogul Station.  Over time however, the public will see new signs and station identifiers at their neighborhood stations. 

Currently, station identifiers are not consistent with any order or logical sequence.  Re-identifying station numbers will give TMFPD the opportunity to have future stations without having duplicate station numbers to that of other fire agencies, and create simplicity.

New Employees – Chief Moore I welcomed and introduced three new employees to the Fire Commissioners:

• Mitchell Hammond, Firefighter/Paramedic.  Mitchell comes to TMFPD from the East Fork Fire Protection District.  Prior to that, Mitchell served in the U.S. Army.
• Don Coon, Fire Prevention Specialist II.  Don was most recently with the City of Sparks as a Plans Examiner.  Don is also a Master Code Professional, one of only 300 in the U.S.
• Brittany Lemon, Fire Prevention Specialist I.  Brittany was previously a Fire Inspector and Public Education Officer with the Cosumnes Fire Department in Elk Grove, California.

Follow Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District on Facebook (TMFPD) and Twitter (@TMFPD).

###