On December 4, 2023, former City of Sparks Fire Chief Mark Lawson representatives Hutchinson & Steffen Attorneys sent the City a Fourth Demand Letter requesting a final settlement of $600,000. “This sum will compensate Mr. Lawson for the economic and reputational damages that the City and Mr. Krutz inflicted upon Mr. Lawson. As you are aware, this lawsuit was filed … [Read more...]
Former fire chief seeks $440k in damages as city prepares to name replacement
Following the termination of former Sparks’ Fire Chief Mark Lawson late last year, Lawson’s legal team has demanded that the City of Sparks reimburse him for $441,218.83 to allegedly cover lost wages, damage to his reputation, legal fees, health insurance, and unused leave. Lawson didn’t act as the city’s fire chief for very long…after the Sparks City Council approved his … [Read more...]
New fire chief resigns amid reports that he’s facing criminal charges
Mark Lawson was scheduled to be sworn in as the new fire chief of the Sparks Fire Department on Dec. 12, but that won’t be happening now as Lawson resigned from the position on Monday. “I am here with terrible bad horrible news,” said city manager Neil Krutz in a video message to Sparks Fire Department employees Monday. “This morning I met with Chief Lawson and asked … [Read more...]
Sparks native named city’s new fire chief
Mark Lawson was hired as the new fire chief for the City of Sparks at Monday’s city council meeting. Lawson is the city’s first externally recruited fire chief in Sparks’ history and comes with 32 years of fire suppression experience, and a background in both fire prevention and law enforcement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “I believe … [Read more...]
City narrows search for fire chief
The City of Sparks has narrowed down the search for its next fire chief to six finalists, who will take part in a two-day assessment and interview process on October 11-12th to try to clinch the position. When former City of Sparks Fire Chief Jim Reid retired this past April, the city actively began recruiting for someone to fill the position. It hired executive recruiting … [Read more...]
City conducting nationwide search for new fire chief
The City of Sparks has opened recruitment to fill the position for the city’s next fire chief, and qualified people are invited to apply. Sparks City Manager Neil Krutz enlisted the help of Ralph Andersen & Associates to perform a nationwide search, following the former fire chief’s retirement. “We retained Ralph Andersen & Associates to conduct the search for a new … [Read more...]