B737-300 FLT CREW EXECUTES A GAR.

Narrative

CAPT FLYING A NIGHT APCH INTO RNO. ATC PUT A HVY OTHER CARRIER IN FRONT OF US; WHICH HELD US UP 5000 FT ABOVE DSCNT PROFILE. AT FL300 SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED LESS THAN HALF AND REMAINED OUT FOR THE REST OF THE DSCNT. WE WERE VECTORED WBOUND TOWARDS THE LOC FOR RWY 16R AND TOLD TO FOLLOW THE HVY ACFT TO THE FIELD AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. I ACCEPTED; BUT THE CAPT REALIZED WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE HVY IN SIGHT DUE TO A THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS BTWN US. I TOLD ATC WE WERE UNABLE AT THAT POINT AND THE APCH CLRNC WAS CANCELLED. WE WERE PUT ON A VECTOR UNTIL WE REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE AIRFIELD AND TFC AND AGAIN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH BEHIND TFC. THE CAPT BEGAN TO CONFIGURE THE ACFT FOR A FLAPS 30 DEG APCH AND WE NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE WAKE TURB FROM THE HVY TFC IN FRONT OF US. WE BOTH COMMENTED ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE WAKE TURB AND THEN DIRECTED ME TO ASK FOR RWY 16L TO GET OUT OF IT. WE WERE APPROVED TO SIDESTEP TO THE OTHER RWY AND THE CAPT CALLED FOR 40 DEG FLAPS BECAUSE WE WERE A LITTLE HIGH TRYING TO STAY ABOVE THE GS OF THE HVY. THE RUMBLE INCREASED EVEN THOUGH WE WERE LINED UP ON THE OTHER RWY. THE CAPT DIRECTED A GAR TO ASSESS. DURING THE CLEAN UP AND CLBOUT; ANOTHER CAPT FROM THE BACK OF THE ACFT INFORMED US THAT OUR SPD BRAKES WERE OUT. BOTH CREW MEMBERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE ACFT CONFIGN NO MATTER WHO IS FLYING AND WHO IS MONITORING. FO'S SHOULD NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT THE MORE EXPERIENCED CAPT IS PROPERLY CONFIGURING THE ACFT DURING A VERY BUSY DSCNT AND APCH.