From the City of Reno:
At today’s Reno City Council meeting, Reno City Manager Andrew Clinger recommended the appointment of Dave Cochran as the permanent Chief of the Reno Fire Department. Cochran will serve in his existing capacity as Acting Fire Chief, pending Council confirmation of the Manager’s recommendation at the January 13, 2016 regular meeting.Cochran was appointed Acting Fire Chief in August 2015.“I have made the decision to appoint Dave Cochran as the permanent Fire Chief of the City of Reno,” Clinger says. “Dave has tremendous support from the community and Reno City Council, which I’m confident will ratify this decision and make it official early next year.”Cochran has more than 17 years of experience with the Reno Fire Department. Hired as a firefighter in April 1998, Cochran was promoted to the rank of Fire Equipment Operator in 2006, Captain in 2007, and Division Chief in 2012.Chief Cochran is a 1987 graduate from California Polytechnic State University, with a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree. Cochran also graduated from the Hastings College of Law in 1990 with a Juris Doctorate. He has been a member of the Reno Fire Department Water Entry Team and is trained in Haz-Mat operations and response, Wildland Urban Interface Operations, and is an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician. Cochran was also the Interim Fire Marshal for the City of Reno Fire Department from October 2012 through July 2013.“I’ve enjoyed serving the community as Acting Fire Chief, and I’m grateful that the City Manager has the confidence in me to serve as the permanent Reno Fire Chief,” Cochran says. “I’m looking forward to coming before Council in January to hear their decision.”Some of the accomplishments during Cochran’s tenure as Acting Chief follow:• The implementation of Paramedic-level Emergency Medical Services (EMS), which required the modification of two labor contracts with Reno Firefighters Local 731; those contracts were approved by Council in May 2015. Under an Advanced Life Support (ALS) service, fire personnel with valid Nevada paramedic certifications and training will utilize their skills to help expedite an enhanced level of care to citizens when they arrive on medical incidents.• Effective leadership in helping to negotiate an automatic aid agreement between the City of Reno and adjacent fire jurisdictions in Washoe County. Automatic aid took effect October 1, 2015 and requires the nearest entity to respond to a report of a fire regardless of jurisdiction.• The hiring of new Reno firefighters for the first time in seven years. The Reno Fire Department expects to hire 32 new firefighters by July 2016. Under Cochran's direction, a new entry level test was developed for the first time in 30 years. This test should help ensure the most physically fit and brightest firefighters are invited to work for the City of Reno. From the City of Reno
