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State Fire Marshal details training, inspections and canine program; seeks northern inspector, southern training officer and administrative support
Summary
The Nevada State Fire Marshal described recent program expansions—mobile live‑fire training, a canine accelerant detection program and expanded daycare inspections—and requested multiple positions and equipment replacements. Officials said a recently acquired Southern Command facility enables expanded southern Nevada training and that a new no
State Fire Marshal Mike Dzyak (testimony identification) presented accomplishments and budget enhancement requests to the subcommittee, including additional fire life safety inspection capacity in northern Nevada, a new Southern Nevada training officer, administrative support and equipment replacements.
Dzyak said his division has added inspectors in Las Vegas and absorbed Washoe County daycare inspections into its statutory schedule; since August the office completed 124 of those inspections and the work remains ongoing. He described training investments including a mobile live‑fire training trailer and a fire investigation burn cell trailer used to deliver investigator training statewide.
The Fire Marshal outlined enhancement requests and one‑time equipment appropriations. Decision units described in testimony included E278 (an added fire life‑safety inspector), E300 and E301 (administrative assistant positions in Las Vegas and Carson City), E276 (a DPS officer/fire investigator in Carson City), E302 (a Southern Nevada training officer), and E303 (an administrative services officer). Equipment and contract requests included mobile data terminals (E277), increased in‑state travel (E225), ongoing mobile fire‑prevention software (E226), a testing databank for licensing (E227), hazmat training contracts (E228), a vehicle and kennel build‑out for an accelerant‑detection canine (E280), and replacements for vehicles, turnout gear and computers following the OCIO replacement schedule (E710, E711, E712), among other items.
Dzyak highlighted recent operational steps: creation of an accelerant‑detection canine program with two canines in the north and one in the south; a fire investigation task force for incidents on tribal lands (Safe Trails Task Force) that deputizes investigators to enter tribal lands and establishes reimbursement mechanisms; and completion of third‑party accreditation through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress.
Committee members asked about workload drivers and rural inspection coverage. Dzyak said northern investigators travel long distances and the additional northern inspector would reduce response strain and allow investigators to come off standby. He said investigators also assist with inspections when needed and that the requested training officer in Las Vegas would expand adjunct‑instructor capacity and local offerings, particularly for volunteer departments that lack training budgets.
Dzyak told the panel he intends to retire later in the year (September 12, as stated in testimony) and said the requested positions would help leave a stronger, staffed division for his successor.
