Around the Arch Blog

With the recent change in weather conditions, permits for open burning of vegetative materials are being issued by the Sierra Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department for the burn period that will begin at 6:00am Tuesday, October 5th and is anticipated to conclude at 2:00pm Sunday, October 31st (October 5-October 31) in accordance with county air quality standards and requirements. However, the open burn period could close sooner, depending on weather conditions, fire officials say.

Open burning is allowed in limited areas of the City of Reno and in Washoe County in accordance with the Washoe County District Health Department, but only with a permit issued by the Sierra Fire Protection District or the Reno Fire Department. Areas in which open burning are allowed, as defined by the Air Quality Management section of the Health Department fall outside of the air quality district. Generally, those areas are west of Verdi, south of the Mt. Rose Highway, Sun Valley, and most other north valleys with the exception of the North Virginia Street corridor northwest of North McCarran and south of Golden Valley.

New permits can be obtained by calling the Reno Fire Department at (775) 328-3659. The Reno Fire Department is also providing on-line applications by visiting http://www.reno.gov/index.aspx?page=189. Permits for open burning in the Sierra Fire Protection District can be obtained by calling (775) 849-1108 Extension 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by emailing a permit request to SierraFireBurnPermit@WashoeCounty.US.

A site inspection by fire personnel may be required for new permits before open burning can take place to make sure burn areas are at least 25 feet from all structures, that burn piles are no larger than three feet in diameter by three feet high, that a cleared space of 10-15 feet wide is in place around the burn area, and that both running water and hand tools are at the burn site.

Burning of household refuse, trash, cardboard, rubber products, tires, plastic, petroleum, construction debris and other non-vegetative materials is prohibited.

Open burning is not allowed on windy days, and is subject to local air quality controls by the Washoe County Health Department. Open burning may commence at 6:00 a.m., but fires must be extinguished by 2:00 p.m.

The Sierra Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department recommend the following safety procedures for open burning:

-Keep open burns at least 25 feet from structures or brush.
-Create a “firebreak” removing all combustible materials for at least 10-15-feet around the perimeter of the burn area.
-Burn only leaves, limbs, pine needles and other vegetative materials.
-Keep fires small and controllable.
-Maintain a rake, shovel and a connected and charged garden hose at the burn site.
-Never leave an open burn unattended.
-Do not use accelerants such as gasoline or lighter fluid to start burning.
-Keep children away from the burn area.
-Re-check the fire site for smoldering materials that could rekindle 30-60 minutes after extinguishing the burn pile.

The Sierra Fire Protection District and the Reno Fire Department also suggest property owners consider non-burning techniques for vegetation management including composting and chipping vegetation.

Today, Secret Witness unveiled an anonymous texting program that will provide residents another means to report tips to help solve crimes.

Secret Witness has partnered with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Reno Police Department, Sparks Police Department, and Carson City Sheriff’s Office to bring our residents the first texting tip line.

“In addition to the Secret Witness anonymous telephone tip line 322-4900, which has served the greater Truckee Meadows to help solve crimes for more than 30 years, a new tip texting program provides the same service to meet the needs of the electronic and texting age,” said Katherine Loudon, Chairwoman of Secret Witness.

 The program is designed for short-code texting and the texting operations may vary from phone to phone.

For all life threatening emergencies, call 911. The Tip Texting Program is not a 911 service, but merely another opportunity in addition to the telephone to provide anonymous tips to help solve crimes.

For details about the texting tip line click here.

Reno Fire Marshal Joan Presley issued a reminder today that the period for opening burning of vegetative materials within areas protected by the Reno Fire Department concluded on Friday, May 31.

Presley does suggest property owners consider non-burning techniques for vegetation management including composting and chipping vegetation.

The Reno Fire Department issues permits for open burning. Burning is only allowed during publicized open burn seasons. The open burn season generally begins March 1 and continues through the declaration of fire season.

If weather and fuel conditions permit, a short open burning period may be allowed later this month. Washoe County District Health Department Air Quality Regulations prohibit burning from November 1 through March 1.

Remember burning is allowed by permit only. For more information about obtaining a burn permit contact the Burn Permit Hotline at 775-328-3659 or visit www.reno.gov, select “Government,” then “Fire Department.”

Reno Fire Department investigators are seeking information regarding two potential persons of interest in an arson case.

On Wednesday, September 22, 2010 a structure fire occurred at an unoccupied residence at 1665 Bonneville Drive. Reno Fire investigators would like to talk to two males that were seen at approximately 8:00 p.m. near the address. The two males were driving a black or dark colored soft-top Jeep Wrangler.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the individuals or the fire to contact the Secret Witness Program at 322-4900 where they can provide information anonymously, or fire investigators at 334-2300.

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.

Reno’s Regional Emergency Dispatch Center is a dynamic place to work. The center is CALEA certified. On top of having this accreditation, the dispatchers handle all 911 calls and dispatch for nearly every public safety division in the Truckee Meadows. The dispatch is about to go through more changes to meet the demands of smart phones and other technology, so they can be even more effective at saving lives.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MH3EvSzbUg]

On this Council Connection, Reno Council Member Dave Aiazzi discusses City action to consolidate services and share services with Washoe County and the City of Sparks. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT1jMJ7RXfk]

City Council Member Dave Aiazzi surprized Reno Fire Division Chief for Operations Joe DuRousseau with a special freeway sign of his own to recognize his amazing landing on the freeway a couple of weeks ago. County Commissioner Bob Larkin, a pilot and instructor with Joe, showed up to congratulate him as well. Joe found an opening in traffic and slipped his single-engine plane into the gap after engine trouble forced him to land Interstate 80 near Reno.
The Cessna 172 suffered tail and rudder damage, but pilot Joseph DuRousseau Jr. and three passengers on their way home from a humanitarian mission in Mexico were unhurt.