Nevada searches for public safety director to replace retiring 19-year veteran

Teresa Kay Albertson, Ames Tribune
·2 min read

Nevada's public safety director Ricardo Martinez II is retiring and the city is looking for his replacement.

Martinez has been director since 2013 after joining the Nevada Police Department in 2004 as a sergeant. The new director is expected to take over July 1.

The city's announcement says the public safety director oversees the police, fire and emergency medical service departments. It says the salary is a minimum of $91,062 and a maximum of $121,201 per year.

Nevada city officials are searching for a new public safety director to replace Ricardo Martinez II, who is retiring after nearly 10 years as director. The application closing date is Feb. 24, 2023.
Nevada city officials are searching for a new public safety director to replace Ricardo Martinez II, who is retiring after nearly 10 years as director. The application closing date is Feb. 24, 2023.

The public safety director will have a working knowledge of various equipment including firearms, handheld batons, handcuffs and radar guns, the job posting says. Candidates should have a working knowledge of police, fire and emergency medical concepts, code enforcement and public information programs, along with hazardous materials and mitigation management.

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The job description also says candidates should have six years of law enforcement experience and three years of supervisory experience.

The Nevada Police Department has 11 full-time and three part-time officers. There are three full-time sergeants, one who is the department's detective and is trained in substance abuse investigations, the announcement said. The department also employs an animal control officer.

The fire and EMS team has about 50 volunteers and a full-time chief, Ray Reynolds. The fire department is one of the few in the region to be an Advanced Life Support licensed emergency medical service, the announcement says. The fire and emergency department covers 137 square miles.

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Nevada is the county seat with 7,057 people.

The tentative timetable for replacing Martinez is:

  • Feb. 17: Deadline for applications

  • Feb. 24: First review of applications

  • Early March: City Council interviews with finalists

  • July 1: New public safety director starts

Teresa Kay Albertson covers politics, crime, courts and local government in Ames and central Iowa for the Ames Tribune and Des Moines Register. Reach her on Twitter @TeresaAlberts11 and at talbertson@registermedia.com, 515-419-6098.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Nevada to replace longtime public safety director who is retiring