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Sheriff and fire district report rising summer calls, traffic enforcement and staffing changes
Summary
Lyon County Chief Deputy Mitch Branning told council officers will increase traffic enforcement in school zones and the sheriff’s office is recruiting an evidence technician; North Lion Fire reported 348 calls in May and said data indicate staffing shortfalls. Both agencies asked for continued coordination with city staff.
Representatives of public safety agencies briefed the Fernley City Council on June 4 about summer enforcement and emergency response trends.
Chief Deputy Mitch Branning of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office said the department has implemented a new scheduling system to place deputies in school zones for traffic enforcement as school winds down for summer, and that deputies will issue citations for violations. He also reported the long-time evidence technician, Jack Heizer, retired and the department conducted interviews for a replacement.
Branning described recent investigations of a public-road blockage and said a criminal report would be forwarded to the city attorney to determine whether charges are warranted. He described patrols and coordination with BLM to remove vehicles and discourage encampments near the veteran cemetery.
Captain Silverberg of North Lion Fire (Northline Fire) presented monthly incident statistics, saying the department responded to 348 calls in May, averaging about 11.23 calls per day, and described mutual‑aid exchanges with neighboring agencies. “This data clearly shows that North Lion Fire is understaffed to respond to ever growing demand of the service,” he told council, and noted the department is rezoning response areas and moving to a new reporting system (NARIS) planned for early 2026.
Council thanked the agencies for the reports and had no further questions; both agencies offered to provide additional contact information and updates as staffing changes are completed.
