Fire Protection Facts
What's At Risk?
When your home or loved ones are in danger, every second matters.
Disincorporating Reno would mean losing our local fire department, eliminating fire code protections, and creating a possible 5-mile distance that could affect both emergency response times and insurance ratings.
Reno residents deserve a system that’s ready when it’s needed most.
Fire Disincorporation Facts to Consider
Risk of Your Home Insurance Dropping You:
50%+ of Reno Residents are over 5 road miles from a non-BRFD station. With disincorporation, This will move you to an ISO 10 rating. Major home insurance carriers will drop you, creating all kinds of headaches. The solution is ESD 1 would have to have a station within 5 miles of the 50%. [3, 4]
Briar-Reno Fire Department is in a re-rating process that should be completed by end of Summer 2025. The expected ISO rating is a 4-6. (Lower is better. For reference) This will reduce your home insurance rates!
The wise choice is to make the decision in November when you can see if:
- BRFD delivered on lower ISO ratings this summer.
- ESD 1 placed a temporary station within 5 miles of all Reno residents.
Increased Response Times:
If Briar-Reno Fire Department is no longer the provider of fire and EMS services within the City of Reno, response times will double if not triple in over 50% of the city.
The current average response time in Reno is 5 ½ minutes. Seconds count when your life or home depends on it.
The Briar-Reno Fire Department owns and will continue to own its facilities in Reno. If Reno disincorporates, it will transition to a training facility and administration offices for our Fire Marshal office. Other fire services would not have the BRFD as their home. [1]
Loss of All Fire Code Regulations:
Parker County does not have any fire code regulations. This means future and existing buildings could become tender boxes if constructed with no fire codes.
Where there are no fire codes, fatalities are significantly higher. In 2023, death rates for one- or two-family home fires were 38 percent higher than in 1980.[2]
Reno has strong fire code regulations in place to protect you. [3]
When Every Second Counts, Coverage Matters:
Briar-Reno Fire Department’s two fire stations cover 14 square miles each.
Other fire providers cover approximately 40 square miles each.
No City. No Choice. Uncertain Future:
If Reno disincorporates, we lose our fire department. It won’t be until November until we can vote to officially join a new fire department (ESD1). Joining ESD1 will require an additional tax.
Whether you are for keeping Reno’s Fire Department or for joining ESD1, voting to disincorporate is not the way to accomplish either. If we remain a city, you will have a voice in whether we join ESD1 or retain our fire department – protect your choice.
What If I Need Priority 3 Services:
Agencies in Parker County only respond to Priority 1 and Priority 2 calls with lights.
If your medical emergency is coded as a priority 3 emergency, an ambulance will respond from Springtown or other areas of Parker County with a minimum 15-minute response time.
Many priority 3s are actually determined to be priority 1 or 2 once providers arrive and assess. BRFD responds to Priority 1, 2, and 3 running lights as an emergency response.
Sources:
[1] BRFD, March 22, 2025 Town Hall Meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR1pvnmgRR0&ab_channel=
SaveRenoPC and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eqXvlJq-do&ab_channel=SaveRenoPC
[2] https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/research/nfpa-research/fire-statistical-reports/fire-loss-in-the-united-states
[3] https://ecode360.com/40917703#40917703
[4] ESD 1 public hearing on the ballot initiative on March 30, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z1B8JAO4AU&ab_channel=SaveRenoPC
Vote Against Disincorporation on May 3.
Early Voting - April 22-29
Register to Vote Before April 3.
Can I vote AGAINST disincorporation but FOR the tax reduction?
YES! The most important thing is to keep your voice and local control by saving the City of Reno.