Carson City Fire Chief Sean Slamon will be retiring in May following a nearly 40-year career in firefighting.
Slamon became the sixth fire chief in Carson City’s history in March 2017 and his career in firefighting spans over three decades.
He began his fire service in 1988 with the Foster City Fire Department and continued his career with the City of Modesto for 28 years working his way up to fire chief in 2014, before coming to serve as Carson City Fire Chief three years later.
His retirement day will be effective May 31, 2025 which allows the city to begin the recruitment process to fill his position by his last day, according to City Manager Nancy Paulson.
“The city manager’s office offers its continuing support of Chief Sean Slamon and appreciates his many years of dedicated service to the city,” Paulson said.
Mayor Lori Bagwell echoed Paulson, stating she “wishes to express her sincere gratitude for Chief Slamon’s commitment to Carson City and the many accomplishments achieved during his tenure, and extends her best wishes to chief and his family upon retirement.”
The mayor also assured the community that public safety is always of a paramount concern and that no negative impact to levels of public service or responsiveness to critical incidents are expected during the transition to new leadership at the fire department.
In his letter to the Board of Supervisors and the City Manager announcing his retirement, Slamon wrote: “It has been one of my greatest honors to serve the citizens of Carson City, our firefighters, and staff as their Fire Chief. For the past thirty-seven years, I have had the great fortune to work with some of the best firefighters around.”
Slamon also listed a number of achievements the department had made during his tenure including:
- Gaining the support and funding for Carson City’s fourth fire station. Station 55 is under construction and will likely open in late spring or early summer 2025. The last fire station added to Carson City was built in the mid-1970s.
- Acquired a FEMA SAFER grant worth over $3,600,000 and added nine firefighters to our response capabilities. After the SAFER Grant, those positions were moved into permanent positions that will staff Fire Station 55 when it opens.
- Purchased and placed into service a 107′ aerial ladder truck. The ladder truck has improved our service delivery capabilities and addressed a serious need for our city. In 2017, CCFD started a Basic Life Support Ambulance program that operated eight hours daily, Monday through Friday. CCFD has expanded that service to 10 to 12 hours, seven days a week.
- Added two Fire Inspector positions and elevated the rank of Fire Marshal from Captain to Battalion Chief. These changes have improved our ability to meet our city’s and citizens’ needs.
- We expanded automatic aid agreements with neighboring fire departments and increased the number of firefighters and apparatus that respond to working fires. These increases have improved our operations capabilities and service to our city.
- In 2018, we implemented an annual award and medal ceremony to recognize the many outstanding achievements and heroism demonstrated daily throughout our department. We replaced our entire fire engine fleet, and we are currently replacing our wildland fleet. Acquired over $4,000,000 in grants to reduce hazardous vegetation in our Wildland Urban Interface areas.
- We hired five full-time wildland crew members to complete the reduction of hazardous fuels and add to our wildland fire response capabilities.
- Implemented a Peer Support program and voluntary cancer screening for our members.
- Completed a Fire Department Master Plan that laid the foundation for many of the accomplishments listed above and continues to be a resource in guiding our future.
“None of the accomplishments listed above, or the many more I did not list, were achieved by a single individual,” Slamon wrote. “This leads me to our greatest asset: you. My greatest accomplishment has been working with outstanding teams, from administrative staff to fire personnel. There is no more extraordinary accomplishment than making a difference in someone’s life; you do that daily. For that, I say thank you.”
“I would also like to thank former City Manager Nick Marano for bringing me here, City Manager Paulson and Deputy City Manager Hicks for your support and leadership, our City Executive Team for your support and encouragement, and our Board of Supervisors for your commitment to improving our fire department and approving the many items listed above,” he continued. “Finally, I want to thank the most important people in my life: my family. Without you, I would not be the person I am today.”
To the city at large, Slamon said it has been an honor to be the city’s fire chief and serve with pride, commitment and compassion.
“I look forward to seeing each of you excel and soar.”
