4.0 County-Wide Assessment Results
4.1 County-wide Risk and Hazard Assessment Overview
During January and February of 2004, RCI Project Teams evaluated five Storey County communities. Inventory and analyses of community design aspects (roads, signage, utility infrastructure), defensible space conditions, construction materials, architectural features, wildland-urban interface characteristics, fuel types, and fuel densities resulted in an overall hazard rating for each community. The key components of these assessments are summarized in Table 4-1.
| Community | Interface Condition | Interface Fuel Hazard | Ignition Risk | Fire Hazard Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Hill | Intermix | Moderate to High | High | High |
| Lockwood | Classic Interface | Low | Low | Moderate |
| Six Mile | Intermix | Low | Low | Moderate |
| Virginia City | Intermix | Moderate to High | High | High |
| Virginia Highlands(1) | Intermix | Moderate to Extreme | High | Extreme |
| (1) - Ratings for the Virginia Highlands are adapted from RCI 2002 and field visits in 2004. | ||||
4.1.1 Suppression Capabilities
Wildfire Protection Resources
The Storey County Fire Protection District was established under NRS 474 assigning the responsibility for all-risk response services in the towns of Virginia City and Gold Hill to the Storey County Fire Department. An NDF Fire Protection District was established in 1974 under the terms of NRS Chapter 473, assigning responsibility for all-risk response services throughout the remaining private lands in Storey County and the lead role in wildland fire management to the Nevada Division of Forestry. The NDF Comprehensive Wildfire Management Program includes wildfire prevention and suppression, hazardous fuels reduction, post-wildfire rehabilitation, and public education. Currently, the Storey County Fire Department is in the process of extending their all-risk responsibility in the 474 Fire Protection District to all communities in Storey County, with NDF operating a seasonal wildland fire program throughout the county.
Fire suppression apparatus and personnel stationed in Storey County are summarized in Table 4-2. The resources shown are based on data available at the time of interviews with local and regional fire authorities and are subject to change. They are reported here to represent the relative strength of fire suppression resources on site. The resources that will be dispatched in response to a first-alarm wildland fire call are determined by a run card system that is based on National Fire Protection Association standards and adapted to local needs and conditions.
| Location | Resource | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia City Fire Station #1 |
Type I Engine Type III Engine Type IV Engine Type VIII Water Tender Fire Chief Career Firefighters Volunteer Firefighters |
2 2 1 1 1 6 17 |
| Virginia Highlands Fire Station #2 |
Type I Engine Type II Engine Type III Engine Type III Engine -NDF Type IV Engine Type VIII Water Tender Career Firefighters Volunteer Firefighters Seasonal Firefighters -NDF |
1 1 2 1 2 1 3 13 5 |
| Six Mile Fire Station #3 |
Type I Engine Type II Engine Type III Engine Type IV Engine Type VIII Water Tender Volunteer Firefighters |
1 1 1 1 1 17 |
| Lockwood Fire Station #4 |
Type I Engine Type II Engine Type IV Engine Type VIII Water Tender Career Firefighters Volunteer Firefighters |
1 1 1 1 6 12 |
Mutual Aid Agreements
Current mutual aid agreements with Storey County provide additional resources for wildfire suppression as shown in Table 4-3 and summarized below.
Nevada Division of Forestry. In the event that a Second Alarm assignment is declared on an incident that originates within the Storey County Fire Department area of responsibility, the SCFD and NDF will assume a unified command. The Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center in Minden, Nevada houses dispatch facilities for multiple state and federal agencies, including NDF. The Center coordinates resources for these agencies, including air support, overhead management, and extended ground attack.
Central Lyon County Fire Protection District. Storey County Fire Department is allowed to request first-alarm fire suppression resources from the Central Lyon County Fire Protection District based upon their mutual aid agreement.
Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs’ Association Mutual Aid Agreement. Storey County Fire Department is a signatory to this regional mutual aid agreement. The agreement provides for the activation of pre-assigned task forces and strike teams with multiple suppression apparatuses to participating fire departments and fire protection districts under a “good neighbor” policy of free assistance for a predetermined period of time. This agreement is guided by an operating plan with mobilization guides updated annually by each participating force. These guides set forth the commitments made in local agreements, the regional plan, and the assistance for hire predicated on closest resource and the dispatch level of the request: initial attack (nearest on-duty crews respond), immediate need (crews respond within thirty minutes), or planned need beyond initial attack.
Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators. Membership in the Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators (Sierra Front) is composed of more than 25 federal, state, and local entities including fire suppression agencies, state and local law enforcement agencies, and special organizations such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Weather Service. By pooling their resources, these agencies take a more efficient approach to the common goal of fire protection and a quicker response to wildland fires and other emergencies. The Sierra Front area extends its responsibility north to Susanville, California, south to Bishop, California, including the Tahoe Basin, and east to Fallon, Nevada.
| Type of Resource | Amount of Equipment | Agency or District |
|---|---|---|
| Type I Engine Type II Tender Type III Engine Medic Unit |
2 2 2 1 |
Central Lyon County Fire Protection District. Response will vary according to resource request. |
| Hand Crew Engine Type III Water Tender Bulldozer Helicopter Type III |
1 4 1 1 1 |
Nevada Division of Forestry dispatched through the Sierra Front Interagency Center in Minden. Nearest available resources will respond based on the current fire hazard level. |
| Typical Strike Team/Task Force: Strike Team Leader Engine Type III |
1 5 |
Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs Association Nearest available resource, will respond based on the current fire hazard level. |
| Air Attack Type II Incident Management Team |
1 1 |
Requests for resources beyond initial attack are dispatched through the Sierra Front Interagency Center in Minden. |
| Source: Personal communication with Chief Gary Hames, Storey County Fire Department, Chief John Gillenwater, Central Lyon County Fire Protection District; John Copeland, Fire Protection Officer NDF Western Region, Chief Duane Whitelaw, Operational Coordinator Tahoe Regional Fire Chiefs’ Association, and Janice Meyer, Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch. | ||
Detection Communication
Wildfire ignitions detected by the public are generally reported through the 911 system. Following dry lightning storm events, the Storey County Fire Department and Nevada Division of Forestry are on heightened alert to respond to these calls and dispatch patrols to directly detect ignitions. NDF also works with the Sierra Front Wildfire Interagency Dispatch Center to coordinate reconnaissance flights of areas that have experienced a lightning storm event.
Agencies use the following tools to communicate with fire response personnel:
- Community sirens operated in Virginia City, Virginia Highlands, Lockwood, and Six Mile.
- Radio access to a primary (155.865) and secondary (155.070) radio frequency and State Mutual Aid frequencies. All frequencies are compatible with neighboring agencies. For the most part, there are no known gaps in the radio coverage.
- Fire Dispatch County fire resources are dispatched through the Storey County Sheriff Office located in Virginia City. Emergency personnel are notified by both radio and pager. Requests to activate interlocal and interagency aid agreements are made by the Storey County Fire Chief through unified county dispatch services at the Storey County Sheriff’s Office. Requests to the Lake Tahoe Regional Fire Chief’s Association are made though the Placer County Dispatch center. NDF, BLM, and USFS resources in this region are dispatched through the Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch Center in Minden, Nevada, which also coordinates with the dispatch offices of the remaining Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators.
Fire Protection Personnel Qualifications
All Storey County volunteer and professional firefighters carry a minimum Wildland Firefighter II certification. Each has successfully completed the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) courses S110, 120, 130, and 190 at a minimum. They are listed in the NWCG Red Card system with individual qualifications, which authorizes a person to fight wildland fires on public lands. The Storey County Fire Department also has certified Division Group Supervisors, Strike Team Leaders, and a Type II Incident Commander on their staff.
All volunteer and professional fire prevention employees, firefighters, fire officers, and fire instructors receive training to meet National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
Work Load
The Storey County Fire Department tracks calls on an annual, countywide basis using the Firehouse Software database. The calls from 2003 are summarized below.
- Emergency Medical Calls: 500
- Wildland / Brush fire calls: 150
- Other calls: 150
Financial Support
Financial support for fire protection in Storey County is described in Nevada Revised Statutes 473 and 474. The Storey County Fire Department funding for day-to-day activities is derived almost equally from two main sources: the assessment of an ad valorem property tax within Storey County and the Supplemental City-County Relief Tax (SSCRT) as described in the 474 Fire Protection District language. The Nevada Division of Forestry, through the fire protection district, is responsible for incident command after initial attack on wildfires that ignite on undeveloped private land in the county under the terms of the 473 Fire Protection District. The Fire Department also pursues grant funding when available.
Community Preparedness
The Storey County Fire Department works with the Storey County Sheriff’s Department and the local emergency planning committee to develop emergency plans, disaster plans, and an emergency evacuation plan. The Emergency Evacuation Plan (EEP) is currently in the final draft process and was expected to be issued during the last quarter of 2004. These plans are reviewed annually. Activation of the EEP is a “three deep” process, which means that a consensus of all three officials in charge of the entities mentioned must be reached for activation. Aspects of these plans were tested with success during the Andrew Fire in August 2004.
The Storey County Fire Department has an informational web page under development (www.storeyfire.com) and offers periodic programs for the public to increase community fire awareness and fire safety.
The Sierra Front Wildfire Cooperators have a pre-attack plan (dispatch run cards for initial attack) that is updated annually prior to the start of each fire season and the Storey County Fire Protection District participates in the pre-attack plan meetings. The Storey County Fire Department enforces a county ordinance prohibiting debris burning in the Virginia City and Gold Hill communities; it issues burn permits for those areas where burning is permitted. The Storey County Fire Department reviews new development plans for the communities to ensure that they conform to current fire code standards.