Fire chief, captain discuss financial challenges with Cortez-Masto

North Lyon County Fire Protection District Chief Brian Bunn and Captain Joe Mendoza recently visited with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Washington D.C. to discuss the district’s revenues as it aims to meet current and future demand.
During a report to the North Lyon Fire Board of Directors, Bunn and Mendoza each said they were encouraged by the visit.
“It was refreshing to see that they were having discussions prior to our arrival due to an outline that the chief sent to them that gave a baseline of what our concerns were for our community,” Mendoza said. “And it became their concerns to the extent where they requested that we correspond with them every two weeks to keep these things fresh.”
Although they went to discuss the district’s financial challenges, Bunn said they also discussed potential statewide challenges from future Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG), the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), and Staffing for Adequate and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants.
“At the end of the day I don’t care what branch it’s under, but those monies need to remain available, not just for North Lyon or the State of Nevada, but country-wide,” Bunn said.
During a separate interview, Bunn said public safety needs to be the number one priority for any government entity.
“And we’re doing everything we can as an agency within our financial needs to provide the service that is required for Fernley,” he said.
Bunn said North Lyon Fire averages 11.8 calls per day, with about 84 percent of them being Emergency Medical Service calls. Many of those require patient transport to hospitals in Fallon or Reno/Sparks, which takes that ambulance out of service for an average of two and a half hours per transport. Because of that, he said the district requests mutual aid from neighboring agencies an average of 22 times per month.
While Bunn said he was pleased with the reception he and Mendoza’s visit received, he doesn’t know what will ultimately come from it.
“That’s going to be up to the Senator,” he said. “They are looking at any and all avenues about all federal revenues that are coming into Lyon County, period.”
In addition to his bi-weekly correspondence with Cortez Masto’s office, Bunn said he will also be working with a Senator from Montana on bipartisan bills.
“I tell you what was comforting, was their interest in North Lyon Fire from the Senator’s office blew me away, and that it’s their priority now,” Bunn said.