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Elko County Fire Board approves 2025 operations plan as district prepares for major fuels work
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Summary
The Fire Board approved the 2025 annual operations plan, which outlines staffing goals, fiscal planning and community safety initiatives; Chief Matt Peterson said the district has a recent $1.5 million NV Energy purchase order and may be involved in a potential $6 million federal fuels project focused on fuels reduction across Elko County.
The Elko County Fire Board voted to approve the district's 2025 annual operations plan, a living document that sets strategic goals for staffing, fiscal planning and community safety initiatives.
Chief Matt Peterson said the district updated the plan to carry forward unfinished goals and to grow staffing "responsibly" — matching hires to available budget and grant-funded positions. "When I say those statements of we want to grow our staffing, we want to match it to the work that we have on our plate," Peterson said.
Peterson told the board the district recently received a purchase order for about $1,500,000 for fuels-reduction work under an NV Energy contract focused on the Elko–Spring Creek area and maintenance of previously treated areas. He also said he received unofficial notice of a potential additional federal allocation of up to $6,000,000 for fuels treatments targeting a wide area that would run from the backside of the Rubies to the Adobe Range and from Carlin toward Wells.
"That $1,500,000 will be... a heavy workload for our staff," Peterson said, and added that the $6 million, if realized, would be aimed at targeted private and public lands to reduce the impacts of large wildland fires. He also flagged concerns about federal partners' staffing shortages that could affect mutual aid; "Our federal partners are struggling with hiring... Normally they have 10 engines staffed. They are not even close to that this year," Peterson said.
The chief described operational measures to increase local suppression capacity, including an arrangement for a third bulldozer to be operated by the Memorial Fire Department to maximize manpower and help cover the county when other dozers are committed elsewhere.
The board approved the annual plan by voice vote. The plan will guide staffing adjustments, fuels-reduction work and coordination with state and federal partners; many program details and external funding approvals remain subject to negotiation and formal grant processes.
