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Fire district reports Feb. incidents, announces May 2 green-waste drop-off; residents press ambulance-response concerns
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Summary
Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue reported 429 incidents in February for the North Valley CAP area, announced a May 2 green-waste event at Silver Lake Station (9 a.m.–4 p.m.), and answered resident questions about ambulance coverage; neighbors raised concerns about unreturned calls and slow responses.
Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue division chief Joe Shum gave the North Valleys Advisory Board an update on public-safety activity and community programs, reporting 429 incidents in the North Valley CAP area for February and announcing a green-waste drop-off for residents on May 2 at Silver Lake Station on Red Rock Road.
"In the month of February, looking backwards, you had 429 incidents in the North Valley CAP area," Shum said. He said March figures are still being refined and will be included in the May packet.
Shum described the green-waste event as a way to reduce wildfire fuels and urged residents to bring limbs, branches and organic material (no trash or construction debris). He said the drop-off runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and that chippers typically accept branches up to about 8 inches in diameter.
Residents pressed Shum on ambulance availability and response times in some neighborhoods. Shum said Sun Valley Fire Station 45 has an ambulance that responds when available; when that unit is committed, REMSA (a private ambulance provider) responds to calls in Sun Valley. "When that ambulance is available for calls, they travel in tandem," he said, and when committed REMSA covers calls.
Monty Turner, a resident, described delays and asked for statistics on unanswered calls and people who died waiting for ambulances; he said he knew of two deaths in his area while waiting for ambulance response. County staff offered to follow up with the resident and said they would speak further with the resident and relevant captains to address specific case questions.
Shum also reminded residents about defensible-space guidelines and wildfire risk, citing a low snowpack: "Our snowpack is at 5% of normal or below," he said, and urged 30-foot clear space around homes and larger buffers for tree cover.
What next: staff said March incident statistics will appear in the May agenda packet; county staff offered follow-up conversations with residents requesting ambulance-call statistics and said they would coordinate with REMSA and sheriff patrol when appropriate.
