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Truckee Meadows Fire reports steady call volume, five recruits graduated and Hidden Valley station planned
Summary
Division Chief Joe Shum told the CAB that South Valleys saw 3,072 calls in 2024, crews graduated five recruits and a new Hidden Valley station is expected later this year; hydrant testing is handled by Truckee Meadows Water Authority.
Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue provided an operations update to the South Valleys CAB covering 2024 call volumes, recent recruit graduations and station planning.
Joe Shum, division chief overseeing operations, said the South Valleys community recorded 3,072 calls in 2024—an average of about 256 calls per month—with January registering 244 calls. He said crews responded to three structure fires that year, a range of medical and motor-vehicle incidents and a minor hazardous-materials gas leak.
“We had 3,072 calls…that’s an average of about 256 calls a month,” Shum said. He added that crews graduated five personnel from the Carson City Regional Academy on Jan. 31; the graduates will complete Truckee Meadows driving and apparatus training before assignment to stations in late February.
Shum said staffing is currently at the number of positions approved in the board‑adopted budget and noted retirements among senior officers. He also gave a timetable for a permanent Hidden Valley station, saying the goal is to occupy the new facility by October if weather and construction proceed as expected.
On hydrant safety, Shum said the Truckee Meadows Water Authority runs routine testing and maintenance for most hydrants in the area. “They make their rounds on an annual or biannual basis,” he said, and reported that crews completed about 67% of hydrants in the Tamarack area in the fiscal year ending 2024.
Fire staff fielded public questions about traffic and winter driving hazards, water supply during large incidents and regional differences in departmental drug‑testing policies. Shum said Truckee Meadows follows a nonzero tolerance drug policy for safety-sensitive functions and that the department does not comment on other agencies’ policies.
Ending: Shum urged residents to avoid driving through flooded intersections and said fire crews are preparing for mud and access issues this season in burn-scar and low‑lying areas. He invited questions and said training and recruitment remain priorities as retirements continue.
