Sparks City Charter (NRS Chapter 470), Section 1.080 states, Appointive positions:  “2. Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, the City Manager shall appoint heads of each department.”  The City Manager has selected Division Chief James (Jim) A. Reid to the department head role of Fire Chief.

Jim began working for the Fire Department in September of 1996 as a Firefighter.  In February of 2004, he was promoted to the position of Fire Apparatus Operator (FAO).  He then took on his first supervisory role in the Sparks Fire Department when he became a Fire Captain in October of 2005.  In October 2013, he advanced to Fire Battalion Chief.  Battalion Chiefs are responsible for all fire staff working across the City’s five Fire Stations.  In 2015, Jim was assigned as Division Chief for Operations.

During his career, Jim has served on special teams including the initial class of Emergency Medical Technician Intermediates for Sparks Fire (1999-2015), the Water Entry Team (2002-2013) and the Technical Rescue Team (2001-2006).   In addition, Jim participated on a wide breath of committees.  Sparks Apparatus Committee, Labor Management, City Emergency Operations Center, and promotional assessment center committees at the Sparks Fire Department and adjoining agencies are a few examples.

Jim was a Truckee Meadows Community College lead instructor and co-commander of the fire academy for many years and is a past member of the Sierra Front IMT as Operations Section Chief.  He has also served on many out of the area assignments as Strike Team Leader and Division Supervisor.

Jim has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and an Associate’s degree in Fire Science.

The City of Sparks utilizes pay resolutions to define salaries and benefits for unrepresented employees, such as the department heads, not covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements under NRS 288.  The position of Fire Chief is covered under the Executive Resolution, with no changes required.  The employment agreement defines terms not contained in the Executive Resolution.

Following is a summary of the agreement reached between the parties.  This summary outlines portions of the negotiated contract. The full proposed agreement between the City of Sparks and James A Reid is attached. 

The term of agreement begins June 7, 2019 and the initial expiration date is December 31, 2019.  The agreement may be renewed before December 31, 2019 and at that point the agreement becomes year to year with the contract year beginning January 1^st and ending December 31^st.

The Council adopted a classification system and compensation program which is used to determine base pay.  Korn Ferry Hay Group, an international leader in this type of work, set the level for the Fire Chief at 22.  The proposed salary of $185,224 is within the pay range. Chief Reid would be eligible for merit increases until his pay reaches the maximum of the pay range.

Benefits of the position are defined in the attached Executive Resolution approved by City Council on September 10, 2018. 

The proposed employment contract replaces the contract of the retiring Fire Chief and there is no anticipated budgetary impact

1. The Council may choose to approve the proposed employment agreement between the City of Sparks and James A Reid for the position of Fire Chief.
2. The Council may choose not to approve the proposed employment agreement between the City of Sparks and James A Reid for the position of Fire Chief.
3. The Council may choose not to approve the proposed employment agreement and direct the City Manager toward another alternative.

I move to approve the Employment Agreement (AC-5560) between the City of Sparks and James A. Reid and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract.