Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting - June 2, 2026
Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting - June 2, 2026
The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) Board of Fire Commissioners met on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The meeting covered consent items, the IAFF Local 2487 report, the Fire Chief's monthly report, budget amendments, a financial presentation, the annual performance evaluation of Fire Chief Richard Edwards, and approval of a first amendment to his employment agreement. All commissioners were present except Commissioner Jeanne Herman. The meeting adjourned to closed session at 11:06 a.m.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from the May 5, 2026, Board of Fire Commissioners meeting were approved unanimously.
- A Cooperative Agreement with East Fork Fire Protection District for Automatic and Mutual Aid (expiring June 30, 2027) was approved unanimously.
- An agreement with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) for assistance with the Incident Qualification System and Interagency Resource Ordering Capability system was approved unanimously. Commissioner Hill disclosed her employment at UNR but stated she had no peculiar interest.
- A Change Order for the Station 35 construction project, extending the completion date from May 22, 2026, to June 19, 2026, was ratified unanimously.
- Amendment #1 to the State of Nevada contract for fire fuels and vegetation management services, increasing the total not-to-exceed cost by $10,000,000 to $31,616,000, was approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public provided comments during either public comment period.
Discussion Items
IAFF Local 2487 Report IAFF Local 2487 President Mark Thyer reported that the non-supervisory contract was not ratified by the union membership, but the union is willing to return to open and honest negotiations. He also expressed cautious concern about the upcoming wildland season and the opening of Station 35, noting it will stress resources.
Fire Chief's Report Fire Chief Richard Edwards provided an update on operational matters for May and June 2026:
- New Type 1 fire engines are nearing completion and expected in service later in summer 2026.
- Fire Station 35 construction is nearly complete, with internet installation estimated at 60 days; anticipated opening in early August 2026, pending furniture funded by surplus from Station 37 renovation.
- Regional dispatch efforts continue; Octave implementation is delayed to end of 2026 or early 2027. Dispatch managers are evaluating workspace at the Spectrum location for potential consolidation.
- A $600,000 U.S. Forest Service fuels grant and a $13,000 Nevada Division of Forestry grant were received.
- Response statistics for April 2026: Reno responded to TMFPD incidents 87 times; TMFPD responded to Reno incidents 261 times; Sparks responded to TMFPD incidents 24 times; TMFPD responded to Sparks incidents 37 times. Commissioner Clark noted the disparity in responses and potential revenue implications.
- Prevention statistics for April 2026: 35 business inspections, 6 fire investigations, and 51 new construction inspections.
Budget Amendments (Item 8) Chief Edwards presented resolutions to amend the FY 2025-2026 budget: TM02-2026 for the Emergency Medical Services Fund ($8,714.01), TM03-2026 for the Capital Fund for Fleet/Special Apparatus ($3,213,727), and TM04-2026 for the General Fund ($39,120). Approved unanimously.
Financial Presentation (Item 9) CFO Crystal Seplett presented the FY 2025-2026 financial status as of April 30, 2026. General Fund revenues were at 83.9% of budget, with property tax collections at $29 million and consolidated tax payments at $8.1 million. Expenditures were 71% of annual budget, with salaries and benefits (79% of total budget) at 58.4% of annual budget. Capital Projects Fund received property tax transfers at 95.8%, with $8 million in reimbursements from Apple Station and $3.2 million from the Pennington grant. Expenditures were 68.3% in Capital Projects Fund. This was a non-action item.
Annual Performance Evaluation of Fire Chief Edwards (Item 10) HR Manager Carla Ribiaga presented the 2025-2026 performance feedback survey results. The survey was distributed to 41 individuals across four stakeholder groups; 26 responded (63% response rate). Overall performance ratings: 48% said Chief Edwards exceeds expectations, 40% said meets expectations, and 12% said areas for growth. Common strengths included leadership, integrity, transparency, and strategic leadership. Areas for continued focus included communication/information sharing, employee recognition, strategic alignment, and organizational development. Chief Edwards then reviewed his accomplishments for the year and proposed 2026-2027 priorities, including finalizing the regional fire service study, developing a succession plan, expanding regionalization, implementing Octave, expanding employee wellness programs, exploring green waste program expansion, and leading a board workshop and priority-setting workshop. Commissioners added suggestions: Vice Chair Garcia proposed a partnership with Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC); Commissioner Hill suggested engaging a staff person at the legislature; Chair Andriola emphasized reviewing evaluation feedback and improving communications. The evaluation and adoption of 2026-2027 priorities were approved unanimously.
First Amendment to Fire Chief Employment Agreement (Item 11) Chief Edwards presented the first amendment to his employment agreement, which includes: extending the contract term to June 30, 2031; increasing severance from 3 to 6 months of base salary; establishing parameters for merit-based salary increases and performance bonuses (Chief Edwards declined a pay increase, tying future increases to achieving a 17% fund balance); revising vacation accrual (167 hours prorated for 2026, 213 hours annually from 2027); cleanup of language; and adding a successorship provision. Chair Andriola proposed adding a provision to allow conversion of up to 80 hours of accrued unused vacation into a retirement contribution, similar to the Washoe County Manager's contract, with no cost impact. After discussion, the amendment was approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- All consent items were approved unanimously.
- The budget amendments (Item 8) were approved unanimously.
- The annual performance evaluation of Fire Chief Edwards and adoption of 2026-2027 priorities (Item 10) were approved unanimously.
- The first amendment to Chief Edwards' employment agreement (Item 11), including the added vacation conversion provision, was approved unanimously.
- The meeting adjourned to closed session at 11:06 a.m. for discussion of labor issues per NRS 288.220.
Meeting Transcript
Board of County Commissioners for the fire district to order on Tuesday, June 2nd at 10 a.m. And if I could get a roll call, please. Cheri Andriola here. Vice Chair Garcia. Here. Commissioner Hill. Here. Commissioner Clark. Present. Commissioner Herman is absent. Fire Chief Edwards. Here. Deputy District Attorney Gustafson. Present. And I'm Yvonne Strickland, Deputy Clerk. Madam Chair, you have a quorum. Thank you. And I'll move to item one back up to one. And I'm gonna have Chief Catchering each time, sir. If you'll get to do the salute to the flag. And then ask tough questions later. Underground indivisible good liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Move to public comment. We have nobody signed in. Thank you. We'll move now to Commissioners and Fire Chiefs announcements. Chief Edwards. Yes, uh, good morning, madam chair. I would like uh to take this moment to uh introduce a new employee to the board. Um, if I could have Deputy Chief Lewis come up to the podium. Uh Deputy Chief Lewis is our new uh deputy chief of operations. He comes to us by way of Tennessee and California, and he's had uh a long storied uh career in the fire service. Uh he spent over 30 years with the city of Stockton, ending there as a deputy chief of operations as well. And we're happy to have him here and look forward to working with them and give them a chance to say something. All right, thank you. Um Chair Andriola and the Commissioners, Chief Edwards. Thank you for the warm welcome and this opportunity. Um I'm honored and humbled to take on this position as deputy fire chief of operations for Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District. I want to thank all of you for the confidence you've placed in me for this position. Throughout my career, I've been fortunate to work alongside dedicated firefighters, members of public safety, the community, and uh I've always wanted to reinforce the servant leadership mindset. I've always been a team team member and believe in public service. Um as I begin my new role, my commitment is simple support the firefighters, support the employees, provide exceptional service to the community, and work collaboratively with the board, labor groups, our partner agencies, and to continue building upon the strong foundation already in place. I recognize that this organization is has a proud history and an outstanding reputation. My goal is to listen, learn, and build relationships and contribute in a way that helps move the district forward while honoring the values that made it as successful as it is. Uh, thank you again for this opportunity, and I'm excited to be here. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you. Chief Edwards, do you have anything else?
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