Stan Gibbons said he thinks the North Lyon County Fire District is doing fine with volunteers and equipment, but that it needs planning to keep up with Fernley's fast growth.
"The structure is in place," he said. "We have a strong volunteer force, and I think it is accomplishing what it's meant to do for the city and the surrounding areas."
Gibbons is one of two candidates for a seat on the district's board. Steven Carr is the other. Carr could not be reached for comment.
Gibbons said he hopes to offer positive advice to the board.
"I would be the only non-fire-related person on the board," he said. "I bring a different perspective in that I am a businessman, and one of my assets is to come up with creative solutions to problems."
Gibbons said he was running for the board, his first stab at public office, to give back to the community and to "do my civic duty."
"Like any business, there are growing pains in the district," he said, adding that the district's biggest challenge is to expand service with fixed revenues.
Gibbons runs a drafting and engineering firm that does design work for commercial projects across the western United States. Before that, he was employed at manufacturing plants and served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.