The Reno Fire Department will be able to purchase firefighting equipment associated with a fuels-mitigation project in the urban wildland interface because of a grant from the U.S. Department of Interior.

Equipment to be purchased with the $250,000 Fire Safe Council grant will include a masticator (a large mulching machine used to clear brush and other fuels), a bobcat tractor, trailer, hand tools, and personal protective equipment.

The grant will complement the 2009 appropriation of $500,000 that was awarded to the Reno Fire Department through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Nevada Division of Emergency Management (DEM). The FEMA appropriation will pay for personnel who will use the Fire Safe Council grant funded equipment.

The fuels-mitigation project is expected to be conducted as early as next spring in several areas of the Northwest Reno, totally approximately 700 acres. Fuel reduction activities will include the removal of flashy fuels such as cheat grass and tumbleweeds along with other hazardous vegetation

Mitigating hazards to reduce the wildland fire threat in our urban community is essential. For more information about fire safety visit www.reno.gov or contact the Reno Fire Department’s Division of Fire Prevention at 775-334-2300.

Tomorrow evening the latest class of volunteers for the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) of Northern Nevada will be graduating.

TIP volunteers assist emergency responders on scene, immediately following a tragedy or traumatic event. Volunteers provide emotional and practical support to the families and friends left behind after a natural death, drowning, suicide, vehicle accident, or sudden infant death (SIDS). Completion of the 40 hour TIP training followed by three month probation is needed to graduate.

TIP mimics first responder’s protocol in that volunteers are available at the request of emergency responders 365 days a year, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, and will arrive on scene within 20 minutes of being dispatched. TIP volunteers provide support to emergency responders and help to prevent citizens from experiencing a second injury.

The graduation ceremony will be held at 6:00 p.m. on May 19 at the Regional Public Safety and Training Center located at 5180 Spectrum Boulevard in room 105. Deputy Chief Evans with the Reno Police Department, Chief Keefer with Sparks Police Department, Lieutenant Balaam with Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Coroner Sara Mildebrandt with the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office, and TIP Board Members will be present to speak and present to the eight graduating volunteers. A cake and coffee reception will be held immediately following the graduation ceremony.

For more information on how to become a TIP volunteer visit their website at www.tipnnv.org or contact (775) 337-2112.

Reno policemen and firefighters made this year’s American Red Cross Real Heroes list. The organization honors members of our community for their extraordinary courage in helping people and animals. Among the public safety people honored this year are firefighters Jesse Washington, Thomas Glover and Bernard Chapman, Captain Owen Hardy, Equipment Operator Darrell King, police officers Ron Field, Tom Alaksa, Dan Knight and Kevin Collins and Sergeant Colby Palmer.