The Sparks and Reno City Councils have approved an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) establishing a shared Fire Chief model that strengthens regional fire and emergency medical services.
Under the agreement, Reno Fire Chief Dave Cochran will provide senior leadership for both the Reno and Sparks Fire Departments, improving regional coordination, enhancing service delivery and creating long-term operational efficiencies.
“it's monumental in the best ways possible to make both of our cities safer, more efficient. People should realize, quite honestly, this will provide such better service,” said Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
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.
“My commitment is to public safety and public service. And I've been saying literally my whole career that we should be a regional department and we should do everything we can to make that happen,” said Fire Chief Dave Cochran. “So, when this opportunity came up, it never was about the money. It was an opportunity that to do the thing that I've been saying we should be doing, it'd be disingenuous for me to not take advantage of it.”
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% of the Fire Chief's salary and benefits plus 25% of any shared leadership and administrative costs.
“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 Mayor 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 Chief 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.
(Cities of Reno, Sparks contributed to this report.)
