Looking to close a $10 million dollar budget shortfall, Carson City officials are ordering a 10 percent across-the-board cut.

Earlier this week, the city released a list of employees being cut in libraries, parks and other offices, but the cuts will also mean fewer police officers on the streets, fewer firemen.

The move will cost the sheriff's office 20 positions, 12 of them sworn officers.

Friday afternoon as patrol officers on the evening shift were being briefed, elsewhere in the building, senior supervisors were meeeting to decide how best to adjust to the new staffing levels. It won't be easy.

"It's a pretty severe blow," says Sheriff Ken Furlong. "Anytime you have a staff of 140 and you're talking about a reduction of 20 of your frontline work force. That's going to take the wind out of you a little bit."

Still Furlong says he's optimistic the department can adjust without a significant drop in the level of service. High prioriy tasks like emergency calls will still be met, but those that can wait a little longer may have to do just that.

The department has a sizeable auxiliary and it may lean on them a little more for the lower priority jobs.

"There are going to be fewer folks out there on the streets or behind our counters readily available for service. So the delay of service may only be in the timeliness area."

Every call to the Fire Department is a potential emergency. About 90 percent of those calls are medical emergencies. Unlike Reno and Sparks,the Fire Department is Carson City's only ambulance service.

The department is losing 7 positions, 6 of them firefighter-paramedics. Sp, the cutback means there will be fewer ambulances on Carson City streets. Three is all the department can now staff.

"We'd like to have four and the ultimate is to have five," says Assistant Chief Tom Tarulli. "Some days we're busy enough to have five ambulances running to save lives in our community. So running with three is a pretty good impact."

Three of the lost positions were already open and veteran officers volunteering for retirement will lessen the impact on the staff.

Those who are left, Tarulli says, will pick up the slack.
"We're going to work harder and faster. We're going to keep up with the calls. It's going to be harder than it needs to be and it's going to take a little bit longer."