A resolution terminating the interlocal agreement between Nye County Emergency Services, or NCES, and Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue Service was approved in a 3-1 vote by the county commissioners Tuesday after little discussion.

Butch Borasky opposed the resolution and Gary Hollis was not present for the vote.

"Back in 2005, when we entered into this agreement, there were a lot of things that have since occurred," Nye County Emergency Services Director, Brent Jones told the commissioners. "We felt this agreement was not functioning like it needs to be that we can have a much better rapport with the sheriff's department and Nye County emergency services."

The resolution requesting the severing of ties cites concerns that the agreement has become ineffective due to the fire department's unwillingness to dispatch or make use of NCES.

"The PVFRS has repeatedly made the fact very clear that they need more manpower to serve a community the size of the Pahrump Valley, yet when the opportunities exist where NCES can/could have provided valuable assistance, a request for mutual aid was not received," the resolution states, in addition to several other similar reasons.

Fire Chief Scott Lewis is out of the country and was not present at the meeting to address the board, nor was he available to comment by phone.

"I've been requested by the town board to continue this until next month when the fire chief can be here," Borasky said.

"I'd prefer to bring a motion forward," Commissioner Peter Liakopoulos responded.

According to Jones, and the resolution, NCES will still be ready and willing to assist the fire department if asked to do so.

"We're here to supply mutual aid, that hasn't changed a bit," Jones said in an interview after the meeting. "Mutual aid doesn't go away with a sheet of paper, and I support Pahrump fire all I can."

He added that terminating the agreement will give the sheriff's office more of an opportunity to use NCES as it sees fit.

Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said the agreement had been entered into without any input from the sheriff's office, which he said always attempts to dispatch the most appropriate organization to a given situation.

The agreement "kept us from utilizing the county for hazmat situations," DeMeo explained.

He said the sheriff's department would sometimes end up getting billed for using the fire department for hazmat situations, but if they dispatch NCES the cost is already covered by the county.

Examples he gave of situations in which NCES might be used included methamphetamine labs that need to be dismantled, dead bodies found under hazardous conditions that may need to be removed, or houses with multiple pets that have created a hazardous environment.

As far as emergency services such as ambulance care and fires out of town, DeMeo said the fire department would still be dispatched to those situations. In that regard, terminating the agreement will have little noticeable effect on residents.

"The transition for the people of Nye County will be seamless," DeMeo said.

Town board member Dan Sprouse questioned whether that will actually be the case, however, and said he was "disappointed" with the commissioners' decision.

By approving the resolution, Sprouse said the commissioners "have automatically terminated the agreement that Pahrump Valley Fire Rescue used to be able to respond to calls outside of town boundaries on the north side of town."

"The county commissioners now need to provide a plan to service that area of the county," he added.

His concerns were echoed by Town board chairman Laurayne Murray, who also pointed out the mutual aid agreement was a two-way street.

She said the fire department was often called to respond to areas outside of town boundaries such as Crystal or the junction of Highways 160 and 95.

"I have to look into it further, but it appears as though if we don't have a memorandum of understanding with Nye County than incidents that occur within Nye County will be handled by the county," Murray said.

"It's unfortunate the commissioners made this decision without anyone from the town present," she added. The Pahrump Town Board has placed on its agenda a discussion about the resolution for its next meeting Tuesday, Feb. 26.