Why is the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District all but broke? Could it be those boated salaries being paid to upper management at the department, you know, not the boots on the ground fire firefighters? Could it be the large increases approved by Chief Charlie Moore to his direct reports before his departure? How about a little bit of all of the above.

When more than 15 homeowners associations band together to tackle wildfire emergency preparedness, you’d hope for something concrete—like a real agenda, names of the speakers, an expert or two, or literally any plan beyond vague “potential topics.” But instead, we get what appears to be a thinly veiled PR stunt, held at the ultra-exclusive Club at ArrowCreek (because nothing screams “urgent fire response” like catered nibbles with a mountain view and security so those pesky people they don’t want to attend, can’t).