Cities of Sparks and Reno Approve Interlocal Agreement for Shared Fire Chief Services

The agreement is not a consolidation or merger of the two fire departments. The Sparks and Reno Fire Departments will continue operating as separate organizations under their respective city governments while sharing leadership through the Fire Chief position. Chief Cochran will report to both city managers, and major policy decisions affecting both departments will require approval from each city, ensuring local governance and accountability remain in place.

Chief Cochran will assume operational management for the Sparks Fire Department on August 3, 2026. Under the agreement, the City of Sparks will reimburse the City of Reno for 25 percent of the Fire Chief's salary and benefits plus 25 percent of any shared leadership and administrative costs. The partnership is designed to make Reno and Sparks residents the direct beneficiaries of improved service delivery, with system-wide deployment flexibility during peak demand periods, large incidents, and special events, while reducing administrative and operational redundancies.

"Today is a great day-and a real win for the communities of Reno and Sparks," said Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson. "Through the shared leadership of Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran-and closer coordination between both departments-we can improve emergency response and put our resources where they will have the greatest impact. Residents will see real, tangible benefits from this partnership, including restoring full service to Sparks Fire Station 6."

"This partnership reflects how local governments should work together to solve challenges that affect our entire region," said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve. "By sharing leadership and costs, we're improving coordination, strengthening emergency response and ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested where they matter most - protecting our residents."

"Residents care about response times and outcomes, not jurisdictional boundaries," said Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran. "This partnership allows our departments to better coordinate resources, leverage the regional assets we already share - including fire investigations, mechanic and air truck support, and specialized teams such as the Water Entry Team, HazMat and Technical Rescue - and strengthen emergency response throughout Reno and Sparks. It also gives us the opportunity to evaluate new approaches using real-world experience."

The agreement supports the reopening of Sparks Fire Station 6, located at 6963 Scheidbar Road. The station is expected to reopen on Wednesday, Aug. 5, enhancing emergency response capabilities for surrounding residents.

As the partnership moves forward, both cities will continue working together to strengthen regional emergency response and identify opportunities to further improve public safety.