Board approves performance-evaluation process for Fire Chief with added battalion-chief stakeholder group

The Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District board approved an employment performance-evaluation process for Fire Chief Edwards after HR staff presented a proposed method that will solicit anonymous feedback from multiple stakeholder groups via SurveyMonkey.

Sandy Francis, executive assistant standing in for the HR manager, said the proposal mirrors past chief-evaluation processes and ties evaluation criteria to Chief Edwards' 2025–26 goals and objectives. Responses will be anonymous, open for about two weeks, and compiled by the HR manager for presentation in June. Francis said responses would be grouped by invited participant categories so the board can see results from each stakeholder group.

Board members discussed whether to expand the stakeholder list beyond direct reports to include the "next level" of staff. After discussion the board amended the plan to add battalion chiefs to the stakeholder groups and voted to approve the evaluation process as amended. "So if we could just add the battalion chiefs, and then that would be really helpful," the presiding officer said; a motion to approve with that amendment passed unanimously.

Francis said staff will send the stakeholder list to commissioners for comment, then distribute the tailored evaluation to the invited groups and return compiled, anonymous results at the June meeting for full evaluation and discussion.

The board's approval establishes the evaluation method and schedule but does not by itself change the chief's goals or job description; those will be revisited in the next evaluation cycle as needed.