Last year the Bureau of Land Management Fire Investigator found that target shooting was responsible for roughly 40 percent of human-caused fires in our region1.
In Washoe County, shooting is not allowed within 5,000 feet of any occupied dwelling2. The rapid development across Washoe County is continuously pushing target shooters out of their designated zones, giving them limited options for places to safely practice.
I believe the best option to allow shooters a safe space, free of civilians, with a lower risk of creating a wild fire, is the open range located on Pyramid Highway that the County owns. Currently, there is a fee to use this range, and it is only open 4 days a week.
I would propose that we make the range open to the public, seven days a week, at no cost – during fire season. Since this area is well maintained, citizens would be able to use the facility with minimal risk of sparking a fire.
As the Sheriff, I would provide additional Range Safety Officers to help offset the cost of operating of the range.
Paying for an Officer to be on site at the Range is more cost-effective than the alternative of fighting wildfires. Once a fire breaks out, not only do the Fire Department and the Police Department have to respond and often conduct evacuations, other assets are called in, such as Search and Rescue for evacuations and R.A.V.E.N. for fire suppression.
It is truly a cost to every agency in the county each time there’s a fire, and that is before you factor in the loss of property and life.
As your next Sheriff, I will work with our policymakers to ensure that we are making the best use of our resources and keeping civilian safety at the top of mind.
Sherman Boxx is a candidate for Washoe County Sheriff. He has served with Sparks Police Department for over 25 years, and as a Chief Deputy with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 2 years.
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