Firefighting consultant hired

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001 | 11:03 a.m.

In response to firefighters' complaints that they're short-staffed and underequipped, Clark County commissioners voted to hire an independent consultant to study the department's needs.

The county will hire an outside consultant within a month to conduct a comparative study between Clark County's fire department and nationwide departments of a similar size.

The audit is expected to be completed and turned over to commissioners in six months.

In the meantime commissioners asked county administrators to continue meeting with members of the Clark County Firefighters Local No. 1908. Assistant County Manager Rick Holmes said the two sides have met seven times during the past several months.

"Our progress is measured in terms of better understanding their concerns," Holmes said. "It's helpful to have face-to-face discussions."

Ray Ireland, president of the local firefighters' union, said the division has not kept up with rapid growth in Southern Nevada. While the shortage in staffing and equipment hasn't yet hampered firefighters, it could in the future, he said.

Ireland has pointed to national studies and surveys that show Clark County lagging behind communities of comparable sizes. He said, for example, the average number of personnel in other departments is 962; Clark county has 593 employees. And while most other divisions handle an average of 54,700 emergency calls a year, Clark County handles about 69,000.

Ireland also said the division needs more paramedic units to accompany fire crews.

While Holmes said the meetings have been helpful, he conceded that the county might not be able to fulfill all of the fire department's wishes. Some needs, including the paramedic units, might have to be written into the county's capital budget.

"We think we're making progress, but we also frankly have a long way to go," Holmes said. "Some of these are big ticket items."

Ireland said the union's concerns don't necessarily all require answers involving money. The union has also expressed concerns about the manner in which Fire Chief Earl Greene has run the department.

"There's more than just financial concerns. There are also efficiency concerns," Ireland said.

The county's internal auditor is preparing to release a fire suppression performance audit, which, combined with the independent audit, will give commissioners better direction on how to handle the department's budget.

Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said the county could take a look at the valley's growth to determine whether it's necessary to build a new fire station each year as planned. She suggested the money might be better spent on paramedic units.

While most board members were content to wait and see the results of the audits, Commissioner Erin Kenny suggested the board freeze any promotions or administrative moves in the fire department until the problems are resolved.

"We do not want to get into the business of interfering with the day-to-day operations of the fire department," Atkinson Gates said.