Henderson fire chief details station upgrades, rising call volume and new drone in quarterly report

Fire Chief Scott Bevere presented the Henderson Fire Department's quarterly public safety report to the City Council, outlining staffing, recent infrastructure investments and operational performance.

Bevere said the department now covers 122 square miles with 13 stations organized into three battalions and a staff complement he described as 371 full- and part-time personnel. "We exist for one simple purpose, and that purpose is because people matter," he said.

The chief listed recent capital work and training achievements: renovations and remodels of stations and the fire training center, construction of Station 92 in West Henderson, relocation of Station 81, and more than $43,000,000 invested in station infrastructure. He also said the city has approved an additional $12,000,000 for renovation and reconstruction of Station 84, with schematic design already underway and construction expected to start late this year or early next year.

Bevere described operational trends: call volume rose from 38,259 in 2021 to a projected 44,693 in 2025, which he said represents roughly a 17% increase over that span and an anticipated 2–4% year-over-year growth going forward. Despite higher call volume, he said response times have improved, trimming 3–5 seconds on average for some call types. "In these types of emergencies, every second counts," Bevere said.

The department is expanding training and recruitment: Cadet Academy 56 concluded with 12 graduates and Cadet Academy 57 recruitment and selection are underway. Bevere said the department has 7 current vacancies that the November academy will fill and noted the timing of academies is constrained by summer heat for safety during rigorous outdoor training.

He also highlighted new technology and community programs: HFD deployed a tethered drone funded by the 2022 Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative and carried out open houses and community training programs (including CPR and Camp 911). Bevere said those outreach efforts reached thousands of residents in the past year.

Council members praised the presentation and asked about vacancy rates, succession planning and preventive measures to reduce medical calls from aging communities. Bevere said the department has a planned succession program and can open additional academies if needed.

The council did not take any formal action on the presentation; it served as an informational quarterly update and a prompt for follow-up questions at future briefings.