Partnerships - Working to save our community
The City of Sparks is located in an arid high desert setting on the banks of the Truckee River, adjacent to Reno. It is a key part of the Truckee Meadows metropoliatan area, with a primary focus on industry warehousing operations by major corporations that use the locations as a storage and transportation depot for merchandise. Sparks is a major east-west transportation hub for highway and rail traffic. The Reno/Sparks area is subject to multiple hazards including fire, drought, and flooding from the Truckee River. The area also has a seismic zone four earthquake risk, with approximately 30 active faults identified in the area. The City of Sparks participates in a regional planning commission on matters of joint economic interest including disaster preparedness.
In January 1999, the Federal Emergency Management Agency selected the City of Sparks as one of the seven pilot Project Impact cities to build private/public partnerships to construct disaster-resistant mitigation plans.
This nationwide initiative operates on a common-sense damage-reduction approach, basing its work and planning on three simple principles:
- Preventive Actions must be decided at the local level
- Private sector participation is vital
- Long-term efforts and investments in prevention measures are essential
Today, FEMA has nearly 200 Project Impact communities, with over 1,100 businesses that have joined on as Project Impact partners.
The City of Sparks was chosen as one of the top ten best Project Impact communities in the nation, given the desgination of "Region IX Project Imapct Star Community".Visit website at www.disasterplans.com