Washoe County officials will send a two-person crew to oversee fire and medical emergency services for an area of Washoe County larger than the state of Connecticut after Gerlach’s nine-person volunteer fire department submitted resignations in mid-December.
The county’s short-term plan will be effective Dec. 31 and includes sending teams of one firefighter and one firefighter-paramedic from the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District to Gerlach during which they will be paid time-and-a-half for their shift, according to TMFPD Chief Charles Moore.
The fire district is funded by an additional property tax levied on residents who live within its boundaries, which does not include Gerlach. Gerlach is about two hours north of Reno and is the gateway to Black Rock City, the annual home of Burning Man.
Now, the county is working on a long-term plan that it hopes to put into place within four to six weeks, Washoe County Manager John Slaughter stated last week.
“Having that volunteer department going dark is not an option,” Slaughter said, noting that the department costs the county less than $50,000 annually.
"First and foremost, please know that I respect the decision of Chief Gooch and the members of his department; I have the highest regard for the dedication and exemplary service the Gerlach Volunteer Fire Department members have provided the community," Slaughter stated in a Dec. 23 letter to the Gerlach community. "I want to assure the residents of Gerlach that Washoe County is working to provide a seamless transition and continuation of fire and emergency medical service in Gerlach and the surrounding area beginning of December 31, 2015."