New Clark County Fire Department chief named

The largest fire department in Nevada named a 25-year agency veteran as chief Thursday.

Gregory D. Cassell, new chief of the Clark County Fire Department, was “the most qualified and capable person to lead,” County Manager Don Burnette said in a release.

“We had a good pool of candidates,” Burnette said.

Chief Cassell’s time with the Clark County Fire Department, since he started in 1989, granted him an understanding of the community, fire services and challenges facing the agency, the release said.

The department has 29 full-time fire stations, 13 volunteer stations, maintains an urban search-and-rescue team and services the ninth-busiest airport in the country.

“Clark County Fire Department is a great organization and I look forward to working with the fine men and women of the department as we handle the challenges that we face as an organization,” Cassell said in the release.

The release did not disclose Cassell’s salary as chief. As a fire battalion chief in 2013, Cassell earned a base salary of $116,626, according to the Transparent Nevada database. His total package that year, including salary, overtime and benefits, was $242,089.

Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV.