SMITH VALLEY VOLUNTEER FIRE RESCUE, INC.
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1 Hardie Lane  Smith, Nevada 89430  775 465-2577  Fax 775 465-2255
March 3, 2014
Press Release
2013 Smith Valley Fire Protection District Annual Report
The 17 Smith Valley Fire Protection District volunteer firefighters and emergency
medical technicians (EMTs) successfully answered 135 calls in 2013. The calls for
service included; 21 fire-related calls, 77 EMS-related calls and 36 miscellaneous calls.
Our volunteer with the greatest number of responses last year was Captain Michael
Nuti with 92. Second was District Chief Rob Loveberg with 91 responses and third was
Firefighter Bill W. Park, who answered 85 calls.
Our greatest firefighting challenge in 2013 was the week we spent fighting the Bison
Fire along with several hundred other firefighters. Our volunteers and participated in
several community events including a day at the Smith Valley Schools presenting a
Fire Protection and Preparedness demonstration for the students there. We were able
to staff a Fire Prevention Information and Awareness booth at the Smith Valley Rotary
Fun Days and had an excellent show at the annual Health Fair sponsored by South
Lyon Medical Center. We held open houses in May and October and participated in a
Meet-N-Greet with the Smith Valley Soroptimist later in the year. Our annual barbecue
fundraiser in July was very successful; as a matter fact it was our best yet!
The District welcomes two new volunteers with Steve Adams and Crystal Zimmerman.
Marlene Hardison, our first administrative assistant, retired after seven years of
dedicated service. Summer Walker was hired as Marlene’s replacement. The District
warmly welcomes Summer.
Some other changes: Kim Gattuso and Travis Walker earned their Nevada State
Emergency Medical Services Instructor Certification. Travis also earned Nevada and
National Registry Certification as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician. The
District has budgeted for and is recruiting a part-time Training Chief. The Training
Chief will help the volunteers stay current on required certifications and keep abreast of
changing technologies.
The District purchased a new wildland fire engine; replacing a 1981 engine that no
longer provided the capabilities needed for our growing community. Please stop by and
check out the new engine at our Main Station on Hardie Lane. Brush 40, built by
Ferraro Fire Apparatus in Louisiana, provides many new state-of-the-art firefighting
technologies that improve the capability of the volunteers. We will continue on to make
reflective address signs available and to provide Citizen CPR/First Aid Training
Programs as well as the very popular Fire Fuels Reduction Loaner Trailer Program.
As a matter fact, our loaner trailers were used 124 times in 2013 with over 1,426 yards
of combustible vegetative yard waste hauled away free of charge. More similarly useful
information can be found on our website at SVFPD.org.
In closing, and on behalf of all our volunteers, we are proud and honored to serve the
citizens of Smith Valley, and greatly appreciate all the support we receive. We are in
desperate need of new volunteers who are willing to answer the call for help when our
neighbors are in need. We look forward to this year’s annual barbecue (on 10 July)
and it being even more successful than 2013. (More about that later.) Thank you!
Respectfully submitted,
FF/EMT Tom Spencer, SVFPD
Pres., Smith Valley Volunteer Fire Rescue, Inc.
A Nonprofit Corporation  Public Charity