Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and Sparks Fire are implementing a new “Enhanced Automatic Aid” process, the first of its kind in the region. The idea is to ensure the closest single fire engine will respond to an emergency, regardless of jurisdiction. Historically, both fire departments would be dispatched to an incident when the neighboring agency was closer to the location of the emergency, even for minor calls. With the newly designed dispatch process, only the closest fire engine will respond for first alarm incidents, as if it were in their own jurisdiction. Truckee Meadows Chief Charlie Moore says the new protocol will greatly increase efficiency and reduce costs for both agencies while providing the same advanced level of care to our citizens. Sparks Fire Chief Chris Maples says this creates a benefit for our citizens, while making the most efficient use of our resources.