The Washoe County Board of Fire Commissioners swore in a new chief for Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue on Tuesday, while dozens of community members expressed concerns about TMFR's services in Washoe Valley.

Richard J Edwards was sworn in on Tuesday, replacing long-time Chief Charles Moore, who retired earlier this year.

Chief Edwards says he has a 180-day plan for improvements to TMFR, including fiscal responsibility, agency growth, and firefighter safety.

"Once I get an opportunity to meet with the commissioners and meet with all the firefighters and get an opportunity to listen to their concerns," Chief Edwards says, "I'll be able to finalize that plan, and then I'll bring it back to the commissioners formally."

Chief Edwards was previously the Fire Chief and Deputy Director of Emergency Services for the City of Stockton, California, since 2020.

He says the biggest challenge he expects to face with TMFR is the budget, and providing the best services he can with the money the department has available.

"The fire services as a whole in America are facing the same challenges across the country. And the biggest one of those is finances," Chief Edwards says.

Shortly after Chief Edwards was sworn in, dozens of people from West Washoe Valley expressed their concerns about slower response times after the closing of Fire Station 30 near Bowers Mansion, which shut down back in 2022 due to a bat infestation, and was then taken over by the State of Nevada, Division of Forestry.

The closest station to West Washoe Valley operated by TMFR is now Station 32 on Eastlake Boulevard - a 10-minute drive away.

"We need a fire house in West Washoe Valley, and we need it now," one local said.

Chief Edwards says he won't take these community concerns lightly.

"This really gives me an opportunity to now go back and do a deeper dive into their concerns, and pull up the history of that firehouse," Chief Edwards says.

Since TMFR stopped operating Station 30, locals claim response times to fires and medical emergencies have exceeded the national average.

To address this, many asked the Washoe County Board of Fire Commissioners to either construct a new station consolidating Stations 30 and 32 within 90 days, or equip the volunteer fire station on Bellevue Road in New Washoe City as a full-time fire station.

"It's a great solution. Maybe temporary, but it's better than nothing," another neighbor says about the volunteer station plan.

Others brought up issues with the evacuation routes from the Davis Fire, especially the delays.

"There was a one-and-a-half-hour delay trying to get onto Eastlake Boulevard, just to get out of the valley," another local says.

Another neighbor says the only options to evacuate were State Route 28 and Mount Rose Highway, which was unavailable.

"{State Route} 431 was closed for a good portion of one day, and the fire came dangerously close to the summit," the neighbor says.

In response, Washoe County Commissioner Mike Clark says he has done everything in his power to address the community's concerns.

"I've asked for this to be on the agenda," Commissioner Clark says, "I brought this up at every single Fire Commissioners meeting for the last two and a half years, and here we are."

Chief Edwards says he can't commit to any plans for Station 30 until he reviews finances and other challenges.