Reno Fire Department responded to a record number of calls for service.
It was a record-breaking year for the Reno Fire Department, who responded to 57,044 calls for service. In RFD’s annual report, released on March 26th, 2026, it showed 2025 to be a year of growth, resiliency, and development. Chief Dave Cochran says the department’s many successes stem from its top priority.
“Job one is protecting the community,” said Cochran. “My priorities have always been people, and then equipment, and then the stations.”
Oftentimes those priorities make the others possible. Cochran said for RFD to be able to properly respond to calls, staff need to be supported. For staff to be supported, they added additional health testing opportunities that in one case saved the life of a firefighter. New equipment increased safety for firefighters who were in turn able to respond to more calls. They also added many new response tools in 2025, like a new squad vehicle, heavy rescue apparatus, UTV, air bottle refill trailer, ambulance, and two Type 3 brush engines. That makes it possible to respond to a wide variety of calls.
“We have a wide variety of emergencies that we respond to here in Reno. That’s because of our population that's growing, the influx of tourism and other input to the community,” said Cochran. “We're big enough that we do all the things the fire department wants to do. We do tactical rescues; we do emergency medical services. We fight fires, we handle auto accidents. If it happens, we are in a position to mitigate it.”
Emergency medical calls made up more than half of the department’s responses, coming in at 29,913. The department saw a need to use resources more effectively based on those numbers and hired two single-role EMS personnel. Internally, 15 personnel were promoted. The department is currently hiring to fill vacancies that opened up in 2025 to continue bettering the department and supporting its workforce.
Other notable achievements include deploying more than 150 personnel to fires across the country, onboarding 24 airport firefighters and incorporating station 90, completing 5,128 business inspections and 2,100 fire plan reviews, adding a new squad vehicle, heavy rescue apparatus, UTV, air bottle refill trailer, ambulance, and two type three brush engines to its fleet, installing Nederman exhaust systems in 10 stations (100% grant funded), and launching the Reno Fire Department Dashboard.
To watch the full video report, follow this link: 2025 Reno Fire Department Yearly Review
