Longtime Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue Fire Chief Charles Moore retires on January 24th, after serving for 12 years in the Truckee Meadows and 45 years total in the fire service.

"Just before noon today, accompanied by his family, Chief Moore held his last radio call followed by a ride home in a Type 5 Engine. We wish our Chief the very best in retirement and grateful for his service," TMFR says in a Facebook post.

During Chief Moore's career, the department has doubled its personnel and they have added advanced life support paramedics to every engine.

Even though Chief Moore is retired he believes the department will continue to be successful.

"I've got a very capable staff, they're going to be uh, this department is in good hands going forward so uh this department doesn't stop achieving great things just based on my departure."

The Board of Fire Commissioners honored Moore at his last meeting earlier this month.

The board named Deputy Fire Chief Dale Way, as the interim Fire Chief until they find a permanent option later this year.

"Dale is a smart, smart guy, he is very analytical," Chief Moore said. "The guys like him and he'll do a fine job as interim and maybe even permanent chief."

Chief says the department hired a recruiter, Bob Murray and Associates to ask the public and staff what qualities they want to see in the next chief.

They will then take that into account when they screen for candidates.

During the meeting, the chief also gave updates on the renovation at Station 37 off Hidden Valley.

Funding was approved for the new Station 35 off I-80 near the Mustang exit.

The department also wants to get a station out in Washoe Valley.

However, after business was handled, Chief Moore gave his appreciation for TMFR, the county, and the community as the whole.

While giving praise to his department, he choked up and wiped away a tear before finishing.

Moore looked back on his career with us, and his welcome to the league moment was one for the books.

"My first call as an EMT was a gentleman who had both legs cut off in a car accident, first call," Chief Moore said.

Despite the horror of that call, Chief Moore's priority to help people stood above all.

"It's that call and other calls where fire departments all across the county come to aid of their citizens when they are having the most vulnerable and catastrophic moment," he said.

When Moore took on the role, the department wasn't in the best shape, but after taking it step by step, the Chief has since expanded the paramedic program and created a new wildland fuels division.

The Chief says one of his proudest accomplishments was the relationships he made.

"You can't do this job and not have relationships with your partners and your other partner agencies from federal government to state government to other regional fire departments around here to relationships with your staff," he said. "You have to create an organization where people like to come to work... This is my favorite quote, Steve Jobs said 'I don't hire smart people so I can tell them what to do. I hire smart people so they can tell me what to do.'"

Chief Moore says he is looking forward to retirement, but says he will definitely miss the job.

"It'll be nice to kick back once in awhile and not listen to the radio 24 hours a day."

Chief Moore also added that 2024 was quite the year to end his career, with multiple fires that struck the area like the Davis Fire.

However, he believes that the department will be in good hands as he rides off into the sunset.

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