County near takeover of mountain fire services
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Clark County is two steps closer to its long-planned takeover of Mount Charleston’s fire services.
Commissioners on Tuesday made room for a handful of former Nevada Division of Forestry firefighters in the county’s self-funded health plan. They also set aside nearly $54,000 in unanticipated tax revenues to help pay for salaries and equipment once provided by the state.
State forestry officials are in the midst of a long-awaited move away from providing fire services in residential areas, including subdivisions near Lee and Kyle Canyons.
They plan to hand over Mount Charleston’s firefighting responsibilities to the county July 1. Officials have said county taxes won’t increase as a result of the transition, the last in a string of similar moves seen since the Division of Forestry decided to focus more of its resources on fighting wildfires.
Elko, Washoe, Douglas and Storey counties have all taken on the agency’s duties in the past few years.
Clark County leaders in April approved a $1.5 million budget to fund the Mount Charleston Fire Protection District through next June.
That’s around $300,000 more than the county paid forestry officials for emergency services staff and equipment in 2013.
Commissioner Larry Brown, whose district includes Mount Charleston, said he’s not sure how much Division of Forestry to focus resources on fighting wildfires
the county will pay its new, ex-forestry division firefighters.
The county Fire Department already provides equipment and administrative support for about 30 unpaid, volunteer firefighters at Mount Charleston who will remain in place after the transition.
“(Salaries) are in negotiation,” Brown said. “We’ve committed to bringing on as many firefighters as possible on (salaries) equal to or greater than what they were making with the state.
“The county made a commitment well over a year ago. It was very confidently stated that we will equal or exceed the protection (Mount Charleston residents) have had in the past decades.”
State lawmakers in January questioned whether the county would be able to complete its planned fire services takeover by the end of this month.
Brown said county leaders are on track to complete the handover as scheduled.
The Nevada Division of Forestry staffs one full-time and one seasonal station on Mount Charleston.
It is the only agency to provide roundthe-clock emergency services to the mountain’s nearly 400 year-round residents and more than 2 million annual visitors.
The Kyle Canyon station has about eight employees who work rotating shifts, two at a time.
The seasonal Lee Canyon station has four when it’s staffed.
Also, the Spring Mountains, including Kyle and Lee canyons, are guarded by several U.S. Forest Service fire stations each summer, when wildland fire dangers are greater.
State forestry officials hope to save more than $1 million in yearly overtime costs as a result of its move away from Mount Charleston. Contact James DeHaven at jdehaven@reviewjournal. com or 702-477-3839. Find him on Twitter: @ JamesDeHaven.