OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District Board of Fire Commissioners Meeting - June 23, 2026

Meeting Portal — Tuesday, June 23, 2026
BodyWashoe County, Nevada
SessionMeeting Portal
DateTuesday, June 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 43:54

Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Good morning.

0:14

I'm gonna call the meeting to order for the Board of Fire Commissioners on Tuesday, June 23rd at 9 a.m.

0:24

Appreciate everybody being here on this really nice cold day.

0:30

977 degrees.

0:34

So Mr.

0:35

Mayberry, would you like to do the salute to the flag?

0:43

Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

0:57

Thank you.

1:00

I don't know how many more of you get you get to do of those.

1:04

Mr.

1:04

Mayberry.

1:05

How many more of those do you get to do?

1:13

All right, we'll go ahead and move to um roll call, please.

1:18

Thanks.

1:18

Chair Andreola present.

1:20

Vice Chair Garcia here.

1:22

Commissioner Hill.

1:23

Here.

1:24

Commissioner Clark is absent.

1:26

Commissioner Herman, do we have you on the phone?

1:34

I guess Commissioner Herman is absent.

1:37

Fire Chief Edwards.

1:39

Here.

1:39

Chief Deputy District Attorney, Mike Large.

1:42

Sure.

1:42

And I am Yvonne Strickland, Deputy Clerk.

1:44

Madam Chair, you have a quorum.

1:46

Thank you.

1:47

We'll move now to public comment.

1:49

Chief Edwards.

1:50

All right.

1:50

Item three is public comment.

1:52

Comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the Board of Fire Commissioners agenda.

1:59

However, action may not be taken on any matter raised during this public comment period until the matter is specifically listed on an agenda as an action item.

2:08

The board will also hear public comment during individual action items with comment limited to three minutes per person.

2:14

Comments are to be made to the Board of Fire Commissioners as a whole.

2:18

We have no one signed in.

2:20

Thank you.

2:21

Okay, we'll move now to Commissioners and Fire Chiefs announcements.

2:27

Chief Edwards.

2:28

All right, item four.

2:29

Commissioner of Fire Chief's announcements, request for information and topics for future agendas.

2:34

This is a non-action item, and there will be no discussion among commissioners.

2:38

Uh no discussion among commissioners will take place on this item.

2:42

And I have nothing this morning.

2:44

Vice Chair Garcia.

2:46

Commissioner Hill.

2:48

I just want to commend the team on all the work that they've been doing.

2:52

I know that the flooding was a lot of work for the team, and I know that the fires in Sun Valley and then Was there a fire in South Reno?

3:01

Yeah.

3:01

And Sparks as well.

3:03

So we're in it.

3:05

Um and we're here to support.

3:08

So just commend the work.

3:09

Thank you.

3:10

Thank you.

3:11

I'll I'll echo that and thank you for the really quick response in terms of helping the community understand where they could go, how they could get updated, and um the feedback that I've received so far from the constituents that I serve in Hidden Valley has been exemplary.

3:30

Um it's just unfortunate that the weather has its own way of handling situations, but I do appreciate everybody's hard work.

3:40

Thank you.

3:41

All right, well now, and I'll just ask Madam Clerk.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters██████████████████████████████30%
Public Safety█████████████████17%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████████14%
Procedural█████████9%
Legislative Process██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability█████5%
Public Health Awareness████4%
Summary of Proceedings

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District (TMFPD) Board of Fire Commissioners held a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the District's administrative offices in Reno. The board approved several operational actions, including a purchase order increase, a dispatch service agreement extension with REMSA, and a comprehensive insurance renewal package. The meeting also featured the swearing-in of Deputy Chief Shannon Lewis and commendations for the District's response to recent flooding and fires in the region.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public signed up to provide comment during the designated public comment periods (Items 3 and 10).

Discussion Items & Presentations

New Employee Introduction and Badge Pinning (Item 5)

  • Fire Chief Richard J. Edwards welcomed Deputy Chief Shannon Lewis to TMFPD. Chief Lewis, a 30-year veteran formerly of the Stockton Fire Department and Williamson County Emergency Management, was officially pinned with his badge. The ceremony also paid tribute to outgoing Deputy Chief Chris Ketching, who was honored for his distinguished career and will be celebrated at the July 7th Board meeting.

Finance Division Staffing - Manpower Temporary Services PO Increase (Item 6)

  • The Board considered a request to increase Blanket Purchase Order #7500004872 with Manpower Temporary Services by $10,000, raising the total not-to-exceed amount from $125,000 to $135,000. The increase utilizes Nevada State Contract pricing (99SWC-NV25-25407) to fund a part-time Accountant within the Finance Division.

Emergency Dispatch Services - REMSA Agreement Amendment (Item 7)

  • The Board discussed an Amended and Restated Agreement with the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) for emergency medical and fire dispatch services.
  • Commissioner Clara Andriola asked Chief Edwards about the status of the TMFPD-REMSA partnership, noting that communication had improved since the 2021 agreement.
  • Chief Edwards stated that REMSA had been receptive to TMFPD's needs. He emphasized that the one-year term (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) is intentional to maintain momentum toward a regional dispatch model, which the Washoe Valley "desperately needs."
  • The updated annual fee schedule increases from $632,303.32 to $777,652.00, with various provisions modernized.

Property, Liability, and Workers' Compensation Insurance Renewal (Item 8)

  • The Board received a detailed presentation from Brandon Lewis (USI Insurance Services) and Donna Stewart (Senior Claims Consultant) on the District's insurance renewal for the policy year beginning July 1, 2026.
  • Property & Casualty: The recommended option is a new membership in the Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool (NPAIP). This was prompted by the current liability insurer's attempt to exclude "fuel mitigation operations," which would have hindered work under the NV Energy contract. The NPAIP option provides broad coverage for property, liability, auto, cyber, and pollution with a $5,000 deductible.
  • Workers' Compensation: The current carrier (7710 Insurance Company) attempted to non-renew, but the District and USI successfully forced them to provide a quote for one more year. The premium increased 35% (approx. $1,878,130) due to rate hikes and the District's Experience Modification Factor (EMOD). Donna Stewart explained that the District's EMOD fluctuated, dropping from ~2.0 to 1.61 as COVID-era claims rolled off, but rising again to 1.72 due to high claims volume in FY2024 (40 claims, $1.4M incurred).
  • The total cost for the entire insurance package is $2,320,495 (NPAIP + Travelers Crime: $442,365; 7710 Workers' Comp: $1,878,130).
  • The Board discussed the challenges of presumptive benefit laws (NRS 617) for heart, lung, and cancer, which restrict the workers' comp market. Commissioner Andriola characterized these costs as an "unfunded mandate." Chief Edwards outlined internal strategies to reduce injuries, including partnerships with Ready Rebound for swift medical triage and Dr. Fisher for physical therapy. USI will provide quarterly EMOD analysis to the District.

Chief's and Commissioners' Announcements (Item 9)

  • Chief Edwards announced the adoption of the first level of fire restrictions for the season, in alignment with state and federal partners.
  • Chief Edwards provided a detailed after-action report on the devastating mud and debris flow that occurred in the Hidden Valley neighborhood on Friday, June 19th. What began as a single water removal call escalated into a large-scale multi-agency response. Chief Edwards praised the incident management team for prioritizing life safety, noting that miraculously no human lives were lost, although one cat perished. The response involved TMFPD, Reno Fire, Sparks Fire, Washoe County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue, Washoe County Emergency Management, NV Energy (gas leak response), REMSA, and Washoe County Regional Animal Services. The incident transitioned to a recovery phase under Emergency Management.
  • Commissioners Hill and Garcia echoed praise for the District's response and communication during the Hidden Valley incident.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved (Item 6): A motion by Commissioner Hill and seconded by Vice Chair Garcia to approve the $10,000 increase to the Manpower Temporary Services purchase order passed unanimously.
  • Approved (Item 7): A motion by Commissioner Hill and seconded by Vice Chair Garcia to approve the one-year Amended and Restated Agreement with REMSA for dispatch services passed unanimously.
  • Approved (Item 8): A motion by Commissioner Hill and seconded by Vice Chair Garcia to approve the entire insurance renewal package ($2,320,495), including membership in NPAIP, passed unanimously. Commissioner Andriola requested periodic updates on cost-saving strategies and quarterly EMOD analysis.
  • Closed Session (Item 11): The Board unanimously adjourned to a closed session at 9:45 a.m. to discuss labor issues per NRS 288.220. The location for the closed session was specified as the upstairs caucus room.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning. I'm gonna call the meeting to order for the Board of Fire Commissioners on Tuesday, June 23rd at 9 a.m. Appreciate everybody being here on this really nice cold day. 977 degrees. So Mr. Mayberry, would you like to do the salute to the flag? Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. I don't know how many more of you get you get to do of those. Mr. Mayberry. How many more of those do you get to do? All right, we'll go ahead and move to um roll call, please. Thanks. Chair Andreola present. Vice Chair Garcia here. Commissioner Hill. Here. Commissioner Clark is absent. Commissioner Herman, do we have you on the phone? I guess Commissioner Herman is absent. Fire Chief Edwards. Here. Chief Deputy District Attorney, Mike Large. Sure. And I am Yvonne Strickland, Deputy Clerk. Madam Chair, you have a quorum. Thank you. We'll move now to public comment. Chief Edwards. All right. Item three is public comment. Comment heard under this item will be limited to three minutes per person and may pertain to matters both on and off the Board of Fire Commissioners agenda. However, action may not be taken on any matter raised during this public comment period until the matter is specifically listed on an agenda as an action item. The board will also hear public comment during individual action items with comment limited to three minutes per person. Comments are to be made to the Board of Fire Commissioners as a whole. We have no one signed in. Thank you. Okay, we'll move now to Commissioners and Fire Chiefs announcements. Chief Edwards. All right, item four. Commissioner of Fire Chief's announcements, request for information and topics for future agendas. This is a non-action item, and there will be no discussion among commissioners. Uh no discussion among commissioners will take place on this item. And I have nothing this morning. Vice Chair Garcia. Commissioner Hill. I just want to commend the team on all the work that they've been doing. I know that the flooding was a lot of work for the team, and I know that the fires in Sun Valley and then Was there a fire in South Reno? Yeah.

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