Reno Fire Department is the municipal fire and emergency services agency that protects the City of Reno, Nevada, United States. It provides fire and emergency response services to residents, businesses, and visitors throughout the city.
Well my RFD has been hijacked by douche bags like under qualified and ethic violation Dave Cochran and his wanna be frat boy legacy hired son Sam. Our moral is at an all time low. We have been hiring DEIs in recruiting classes. Not to mentioned the academy cadre is a bunch or morons that don’t even teach these recruits how to be firemen. Instead of being the tip of the spear for northern Nevada we are the just barely clinging on like the homeless **** on a bums ass. From broken trucks to a lack of pride in the job, this department is the last place I would apply if I were to do it all over again. Unfortunately, I’m too far in to make a change now. 3 more years until I am retired and I’m counting it down!
Strong department. Higher call volume every year, more complexity, and crews still getting it done.
Only real drag is the small group of salty near-retirees who blame “DEI hires” for everything because apparently that’s easier than mentoring or keeping up.
At some point it stops being about “standards” and starts sounding a lot like plain old bias. Especially when it’s coming from anonymous accounts taking shots at their own coworkers.
The job evolved. Most adapted. A few decided complaining online was their legacy. Upside? That problem tends to solve itself on a predictable timeline of ~3 years.
Not sure who wrote the first review, but they’re clearly not Reno firefighters—and it shows.
Reno Fire Department is the top shop in Northern Nevada. I’ve worked at other nearby departments, and there’s a reason people try to land here. It’s one of the best places to work on the West Coast, period.
Yeah, we’ve got challenges. We’re busy. We’re understaffed. That’s the job. The difference is we still show up ready to work. We run more calls than every other department around here combined, and we handle it without lowering the bar.
We staff four-person companies. We go inside and do the job the way it’s supposed to be done. We train regularly, not just check the box. Structure fires aren’t a rarity here—they’re part of the routine. On top of that, we run solid USAR, water rescue, and HazMat teams with people who actually know their craft.
Our academies keep getting better and are turning out probies who can step onto the line and contribute—not stand around figuring it out.
Every department has its issues, but we’ve made real progress over the last decade, both in the culture and on the fireground. That’s not opinion—that’s earned.
Honestly, it warms my heart to know wherever the two previous commenters are working, they’re probably in the twilight of their careers—and that dead weight won’t be around much longer.
Reno Fire is a solid department and a place most of us are proud to work. The culture is still very much a fire department culture. We are an aggressive department and we run 4-man companies, which makes a big difference on the fireground and for overall safety and effectiveness. When we show up, we go to work.
Our core values are Excellence, Grit, and Integrity, and for the most part the people here really try to live that out. There is a strong work ethic in this department and a lot of pride in doing the job right. The line personnel are motivated, training is taken seriously, and most crews care about being good at the job, not just doing time until retirement.
Reno stays busy. You will run fires, wildland urban interface, rescues, highway stuff, and plenty of EMS. It’s a good place to actually get experience and not just sit around all day. The city is growing and the department is trying to keep up with that growth, which comes with the usual staffing and workload challenges.
Administration, like anywhere, has its ups and downs, and there are always going to be frustrations with reports, policies, and new programs. But overall the department is moving in a good direction with technology, data, training, and risk reduction. Most people here want the department to be better tomorrow than it is today.
The best part of Reno Fire is the people. Good crews, good stations, and a lot of pride in the patch. If you want to work somewhere that still values hard work, aggressive interior firefighting, and being part of a team, Reno is a good place to be.
Overall, good department, good people, busy city, and a place you can build a career and be proud of where you work.
Rating Breakdown
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3.3/5
4 Reviews on “Reno Fire Department”
Well my RFD has been hijacked by douche bags like under qualified and ethic violation Dave Cochran and his wanna be frat boy legacy hired son Sam. Our moral is at an all time low. We have been hiring DEIs in recruiting classes. Not to mentioned the academy cadre is a bunch or morons that don’t even teach these recruits how to be firemen. Instead of being the tip of the spear for northern Nevada we are the just barely clinging on like the homeless **** on a bums ass. From broken trucks to a lack of pride in the job, this department is the last place I would apply if I were to do it all over again. Unfortunately, I’m too far in to make a change now. 3 more years until I am retired and I’m counting it down!
Strong department. Higher call volume every year, more complexity, and crews still getting it done.
Only real drag is the small group of salty near-retirees who blame “DEI hires” for everything because apparently that’s easier than mentoring or keeping up.
At some point it stops being about “standards” and starts sounding a lot like plain old bias. Especially when it’s coming from anonymous accounts taking shots at their own coworkers.
The job evolved. Most adapted. A few decided complaining online was their legacy. Upside? That problem tends to solve itself on a predictable timeline of ~3 years.
That aside, it really is a great place to work.
Not sure who wrote the first review, but they’re clearly not Reno firefighters—and it shows.
Reno Fire Department is the top shop in Northern Nevada. I’ve worked at other nearby departments, and there’s a reason people try to land here. It’s one of the best places to work on the West Coast, period.
Yeah, we’ve got challenges. We’re busy. We’re understaffed. That’s the job. The difference is we still show up ready to work. We run more calls than every other department around here combined, and we handle it without lowering the bar.
We staff four-person companies. We go inside and do the job the way it’s supposed to be done. We train regularly, not just check the box. Structure fires aren’t a rarity here—they’re part of the routine. On top of that, we run solid USAR, water rescue, and HazMat teams with people who actually know their craft.
Our academies keep getting better and are turning out probies who can step onto the line and contribute—not stand around figuring it out.
Every department has its issues, but we’ve made real progress over the last decade, both in the culture and on the fireground. That’s not opinion—that’s earned.
Honestly, it warms my heart to know wherever the two previous commenters are working, they’re probably in the twilight of their careers—and that dead weight won’t be around much longer.
Excellence. Grit. Integrity
Reno Fire is a solid department and a place most of us are proud to work. The culture is still very much a fire department culture. We are an aggressive department and we run 4-man companies, which makes a big difference on the fireground and for overall safety and effectiveness. When we show up, we go to work.
Our core values are Excellence, Grit, and Integrity, and for the most part the people here really try to live that out. There is a strong work ethic in this department and a lot of pride in doing the job right. The line personnel are motivated, training is taken seriously, and most crews care about being good at the job, not just doing time until retirement.
Reno stays busy. You will run fires, wildland urban interface, rescues, highway stuff, and plenty of EMS. It’s a good place to actually get experience and not just sit around all day. The city is growing and the department is trying to keep up with that growth, which comes with the usual staffing and workload challenges.
Administration, like anywhere, has its ups and downs, and there are always going to be frustrations with reports, policies, and new programs. But overall the department is moving in a good direction with technology, data, training, and risk reduction. Most people here want the department to be better tomorrow than it is today.
The best part of Reno Fire is the people. Good crews, good stations, and a lot of pride in the patch. If you want to work somewhere that still values hard work, aggressive interior firefighting, and being part of a team, Reno is a good place to be.
Overall, good department, good people, busy city, and a place you can build a career and be proud of where you work.