Washoe County Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting - April 7, 2026

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners met on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 1001 E. 9th Street, Reno, Nevada. The board approved consent items, recognized promotions and lifesaving awards, received reports on the REMSA franchise agreement and regional dispatch, set the annual performance evaluation process for the Fire Chief, approved a new Public Information Officer position and salary adjustments, and reviewed the preliminary FY 2026-2027 budget. Public comment periods were opened but no members of the public spoke.

Consent Calendar

• Item 5A: Approved meeting minutes from March 3, 2026.
• Item 5B: Accepted a donation of a 1990 D6-HP6 Caterpillar Dozer (valued at $60,000) from the Nevada Division of Forestry.
• Item 5C: Approved a $30,000 increase to Blanket Purchase Order #7500004872 for Manpower Temporary Services, raising the not-to-exceed amount to $125,000, to fund a part-time Plans Examiner.
• Item 5D: Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Northern Nevada Public Health for mass prophylaxis planning.
• Item 5E: Approved an Interlocal Agreement with the State of Nevada for CHEMPACK container storage and deployment. All consent items were approved unanimously.

Promotions and Awards (Items 6 & 7)

• Fire Engineer Samuel Dobson, Fire Captain Casey Marvin, and Battalion Chief Ryan Whitlock were officially pinned after completing their probationary periods.
• New Fire Marshal Jennifer Williamson was sworn in.
• Lifesaving Commendations were awarded to Firefighter Paramedic Austyn Mitchell, Firefighter Paramedic Matthew Nuthall, and Engineer Jonathan Sieben for responding to choking and overdose incidents. A Meritorious Conduct Commendation was awarded to Firefighter Paramedic David Watson for stabilizing a critically ill patient during transfer.

Reports

• IAFF Local 2487 Report (Item 8): Union President Mark Thyer reported on community events, legislative advocacy, and an education conference. He noted a charity soccer tournament on April 18th at Mackay Stadium.
• Fire Chief Report (Item 9): Chief Edwards provided updates on:
  • Fire Prevention Statistics for January and February 2026, noting they serve as an economic indicator.
  • REMSA Franchise Agreement: Three primary concerns were raised: reinstating the joint advisory committee, ensuring the closest ambulance is dispatched to priority 1 and 2 calls, and adding performance metrics for priority 2 calls. Stakeholder workshops were held on March 18th and April 1st, 2026, covering 19 topics. The District Board of Health will consider incorporating these into future agreements. Commissioner Hill, who serves on the Northern Nevada Public Health Board, stated that a reconsideration motion had been made by a board member and that there is commitment to "get this right the first time."
  • Regional Operations Policy Update: Standardized radio programming completed; upcoming meeting on CAD and Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) to improve closest-unit dispatch.
  • Regional Fire Service Study Board: Community meeting held March 19th, 2026; public survey open until April 30th, 2026.
  • February 2026 Response Statistics: 1,588 total incidents (774 medical, 25 fires). Mutual aid: TMFPD responded to Reno 278 times, Reno to TMFPD 78 times, TMFPD to Sparks 56 times, Sparks to TMFPD 27 times.
• Financial Presentation (Item 12): CFO Crystal Sublett reported that as of February 28, 2026, revenues were $35.8 million (65.1% of budget), expenditures were 57.3% of budget, and the agency was operating favorably. Capital projects expenditures were 49.7%.

Discussion Items

• Item 10 – Fire Chief Evaluation Process: The board reviewed the proposed evaluation process for Chief Edwards, including stakeholder evaluators and criteria based on his 2025-2026 goals and objectives. Vice Chair Garcia requested adding battalion chiefs to the stakeholder list. The board approved the process with the amendment to include a fifth group of battalion chiefs. The evaluation will be conducted via anonymous SurveyMonkey, with results compiled by the HR manager and presented at the June meeting.
• Item 11 – PIO Position and Deputy Fire Chief Salary: The board approved the creation of a Public Information Officer position (salary range $67,600–$93,600) with an estimated hire date of June 15, 2026. The Fire Communications Manager position will be frozen effective July 17, 2026 (due to Adam Mayberry's retirement). The job specification and salary ranges for the Deputy Fire Chief position were updated: Police/Fire PERS members $189,030–$241,238; regular PERS members $210,101–$268,154.
• Item 13 – Preliminary FY 2026-2027 Budget: CFO Sublett presented the tentative budget. Projected revenues for FY27: $58.5 million; expenditures: $55.3 million; ending fund balance: $8.4 million (15.2% of expenditures, targeting 17-19%). Significant items include opening Station 35, higher overtime costs, $1.2 million in retirement payouts, and a 3.25% COLA for three labor groups. Five vacant positions will be frozen. Commissioner Clark raised concerns about potential annexation of the LaDera subdivision into Reno, which could reduce tax revenue. Chief Edwards noted the property tax impact was less than $1,000 last year but warned of cumulative effects. The board approved the preliminary budget as presented, with the understanding that final adjustments will be brought back in May.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
• Item 10 – Fire Chief Evaluation: Approved unanimously with amendment to add battalion chiefs to the evaluator list.
• Item 11 – PIO Position and Deputy Fire Chief Salary: Approved unanimously.
• Item 13 – Preliminary Budget: Approved unanimously (motion by Commissioner Hill, second by Vice Chair Garcia).
• Closed Session: Held for labor issues per NRS 288.220; no public comment was provided.