Fire chief reports staffing gains, new ambulance transport and warns of tax-increment financing impact

Chief John Noor, chief of Clark County Fire & Rescue, told the La Center City Council on March 12 that the district has increased staffing and begun providing ambulance transport for high-priority calls, producing faster response times — but warned that tax-increment financing programs could reduce the district’s property-tax revenue even as demand rises.

Noor said Clark County Fire & Rescue now employs “80 full time firefighters,” works six stations across the district and handled 5,682 emergency incidents in the past year, “about a 7.1% increase from last year.” He said the district moved this year to provide ambulance transport for high-priority medical incidents beginning Jan. 1 to shorten delays caused by system-wide busyness.

The chief said the district negotiated with the prior contract holder to allow district ambulances to transport high-priority patients — “cardiac arrest,…