Board reauthorizes stipend policy for incident leaders after debate over coverage and clarity

The Elko County Board of Fire Commissioners voted to reauthorize policy C1.28.2, which establishes stipend compensation for salaried exempt employees assigned to reimbursable emergency incidents and calls for annual review of personnel and equipment rates during the board’s rate-setting process.

Chief Matt Peterson explained the policy’s history and recent use: the policy was approved in 2021, used intermittently in later years and was invoked more than 20 times in 2024 among chief officers. Peterson told the board the district currently has two chief officers available — “myself and Chief Pitts” — and that the district has placed checks so Elko County coverage comes first before sending officers elsewhere. Commissioners pressed for clearer written policy language to define eligibility, reimbursement conditions and assurances that stipends are paid by the cooperating agency when applicable. After debate and a roll-call clarification when Commissioner Travis Gerber (joining remotely) cast his vote, the board approved the reauthorization by a 3–1 margin.

The board asked staff to bring the actual policy text back to a future meeting and to clarify the interaction between the policy, the district’s standard operating procedures and reimbursement rules under federal and state incident funding programs. Several commissioners said they supported annual rate-setting and asked for a future annual report on stipend use and dollars paid.