Lyon County Sheriff’s Message of the Week on July 31, 2026: NITC After Action Report from Commander Powell

Yerington NV – July 31, 2026

2026 Night In The Country After Action Report

Date: July 22 – July 26, 2026

Author: Cdr. Ryan Powell

Location: 115 US 95A E, Yerington, NV 89447

Statistics:

Calls for service: 92

Arrests: 8

Citations: MIC/MIP, False ID: 27

Traffic Stops: 237

Event Overview:

Background:

The Night in the Country Music Festival has been an annual music festival in Yerington, NV for 25 years. During those years, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has conducted general law enforcement special event patrols and enforcement during the event. As the event has grown in size and attention, it has moved from the Lyon County Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena, to the new location owned and operated by Night In the Country, located at 115 Hwy 95A E, Yerington, NV. Commonly referred to as The Grange. The Concert draws approximately 10,000 people in attendance. In past years, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office has responded to calls for affray, fights, battery, assault/battery with deadly weapon, domestic violence, minor in consumption of alcohol, illegal drug-related calls, theft and other calls for service.

Mission:

Night in the Country and Boys and Girls Club of Mason Valley staff have requested the Sheriff’s Office to provide Law Enforcement Coverage for the event to include the associated campground. With that, all of the LE duties fell under the purview of LCSO, which included planning and coordination of security and enforcement for the event. LCSO provides Law Enforcement and EMS / FIRE communications for the event via the use of the Dispatch center located off-site. LCSO dispatchers worked both the law enforcement side, as well as the fire / medical side of the event, dispatching emergency services while the event was underway.

Phase 1 – Pre-event Planning:

Planning activities began several months before the event with the development of a comprehensive Operations Plan. The plan outlined operational procedures, response protocols, command structure, communications procedures, and contingency plans for critical incidents.

The Operations Plan this year was authored by Lieutenant Bret Willey and underwent continual review and revision throughout the planning process. Upon completion, the plan was reviewed and approved by Commander Powell and forwarded to Lyon County Emergency Management for inclusion in a consolidated emergency services operations plan distributed to all participating agencies.

Planning Objectives

Primary law enforcement planning objectives included:

• Resource allocation and staffing

• Interagency coordination

• Public safety and crime prevention

• Incident response readiness

• Traffic enforcement

• Communication and command structure development

The chain of command for the event was as follows:

1. Planning, liaison, inter-agency coordination: Commander Ryan Powell

2. Incident Command: This was shared by multiple supervisors assigned to work this event. IC was established on Wednesday, July 22, and terminated on Sunday, July 26. Commander Abel Ortiz was assigned as the day shift incident commander, Commander Powell as the swing shift incident commander, and Lt. VanDiver was the Graveyard incident commander.

3. Team Leaders: Sgt. Galvin (Concert / Campground), Sgt. Baugh (Concert / Campground), Det. Mendoza (Concert / Campground), Det. Walker (Concert / Campground), Sgt. Westbrook (Campground), Sgt. McDaniel (Drone UAV), Sgt. Stout (Concert / Campground), Lt. Joyner (Overwatch), and Lt. VanDiver (Campground).

4. Deputies assigned to work the event

5. VIP / SAR Volunteers

Coordination:

Lyon County Sheriff’s Office personnel (Sworn, Dispatch, VIP, SAR) worked with the following agencies for coordination of this event. Boys and Girls Club of Mason Valley, Yerington Mason Valley Fire Protection District, Yerington Police Department, Nevada Highway Patrol, Lyon County Emergency Management, Humboldt General Hospital, High Rock Security, Sierra Electronics, Music Artist Management Team and Security, Lyon County Buildings and Grounds Department, Lyon County Emergency Management, and Lyon County Information Technology Department. Additionally, Peri and Son’s Farms worked closely in providing assistance through manpower and equipment for the event.

The majority of the collaboration of this event was conducted by Boys and Girls Club staff and Night In The Country Music Festival Director Justin Aguilar. Multiple briefings were held prior to the event taking place including an on-site meeting with all of the agencies involved the day prior to the concert kicking off.

Phase 2 – During the event:

The LCSO STET Team conducted a joint operation with the Yerington Police Department for the event this year, targeting traffic enforcement on Hwy 95A in the area of the music festival. This resulted in a large LE presence in the area as concert attendees arrived at the festival. Numerous traffic stops were made, which resulted in arrests and traffic citations for a multitude of violations.

The operations plan was implemented and utilized during the four days of the music festival. Daily Briefings were conducted with the Law Enforcement Staff assigned to work the event. Weather reports were provided, assignments were given, and a briefing of the previous day’s activities was given. Areas to focus on, concerns, and lessons learned from the previous day were discussed during the briefing. Three Law Enforcement shifts were assigned for the event, to include Day shift, Swing Shift, and Graveyard Shift. The total sworn Law Enforcement Personnel (Not including STET Operations) assigned to the event per day were as follows:

Wednesday – 6

Thursday – 29

Friday – 34

Saturday – 34

During the course of the event, no major issues took place. One minor injury occurred to a law enforcement member when he was punched in the face during an altercation. Arrests were up this year, mostly because of the STET operation. During the arrests affected, only minor use of force was used during arrests. No law enforcement personal defense weapons were used (taser, pepper spray, ASP baton, firearms).

Sgt. McDaniel utilized the LCSO unmanned aerial vehicle for surveillance. This proved to be a valuable tool to law enforcement as we could quickly get eyes on suspected issues or large crowds and determine what was taking place from the safety of an elevated position, even at night with the infrared capabilities. Sgt. McDaniel used mobile computer screens to monitor the live video from the UAV, and that was a tremendous upgrade from past events. He also sent out a live link to watch the video remotely (on a cell phone or tablet), and that was a great tool to have as well.

Mason Valley Fire brought a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) kit to this year’s event. This large kit consisted of 12 smaller first aid kits built for handling multiple gunshot victims. Thankfully, the kit was not needed, but was a huge safety upgrade for our staff and the concert participants attending the concert.

Lyon County Emergency Management also utilized the LCSO Command Bus for their incident command post. This vehicle had two fully functional workstations, multiple radios to monitor all radio traffic for the event (SAR, Fire, Law), as well as other forms and supplies that could have been needed in the event.

Daily Patrol operations consisted of day shift (0600 -1600 Hrs.), swing shift 1600 – 0200 Hrs., and graveyard shift (2200 – 0600 Hrs.).

Incident command was terminated on Sunday, July 26, as the campers were packing up and leaving town.

Phase 3: Event Debrief LCSO Command Staff

After the conclusion of the event, LCSO Command Staff met on July 28, 2026, and discussed this year’s concert. We discussed things that went well, things that need improvement, and came up with areas to improve next year’s operations plan. Several areas of improvement were noted as detailed below.

Recommendations for Improvement:

Enhanced operational staffing plans would be beneficial for future planning. Future operational plans for NITC should include more detailed direction regarding:

• Specific patrol zones inside the venue

• Deployment schedules based on the concert and performances

• Staff expectations

• Team movement requirements

• Gate Assignment Schedule

At times during the concert, LE teams tended to stagnate in one spot for too long and caused larger gaps of limited deputy presence in the concert venue. During discussion on this, we determined there was no set location a team was expected to patrol; rather, the teams were afforded freedom of movement and expected to be self-disciplined in this area per direction provided in shift briefing and pre-planning meetings. This was due to the very high temperatures experienced for the event; Saturday brought temps in excess of 103 degrees, and teams sought shade while the sun was up. Once the sun went down, teams moved around a little more, but during the height of the action more attention to detail was needed in pre-positioning for monitoring of fights and other disturbances. Generally speaking, reducing operational ambiguity and providing more direction of movement and patrol areas will improve coverage consistency and accountability amongst the teams.

Improve Strategic Positioning of Staff

Historical trends demonstrate that the highest likelihood of fights, disturbances, and law enforcement interventions occurs in the following areas:

• VIP section

• Superfan section

• Crowd transition points (Vendor Row/age verification / Main entrance)

• During the final headline performances each night

Future staffing plans should prioritize pre-positioning personnel in these areas before peak activity periods.

Strengthen Team Coordination

Team leaders should maintain consistent communication regarding:

• Personnel locations

• Resource movements

• Emerging issues

• Patrol coverage gaps

More deliberate coordination will help prevent units from consolidating in one area while leaving other areas under-patrolled. Technological advancements in personnel location have improved to the point that LCSO should consider utilizing these software advancements to show real-time personnel location. Cell phone applications such as Cal Topo and Perimeter currently have, or are in the process of, releasing individual and precise location capabilities. Team leaders, with department-issued cell phones, can utilize these applications and allow Incident Commanders and Dispatch to see who the closest available teams are when dispatching calls for service such as fights and medical emergencies. This would greatly increase operational success by knowing where teams are located and sending the right team when seconds count. Additionally, it would afford better operational oversight in knowing where the teams are located and allow for better planning and positioning.

Clarify Security and LE Responsibilities

LCSO should work more closely with NITC and contracted event security to establish clearly defined expectations regarding:

• Duties and responsibilities

• Response protocols

• Crowd management responsibilities

• Escalation procedures

Clearly defined roles will improve operational effectiveness and reduce duplication of effort and allow the appropriate entity to act accordingly.

Operational Successes

Several improvements implemented following the 2025 after-action review proved to be successful as noted below:

Graveyard Shift Assignments

The decision to have graveyard shift personnel report at 2200 hours provided additional staffing during the critical transition period when attendees exited the concert venue and moved toward after-hours activities and campgrounds. This staffing model improved response times, patrol coverage, call-for-service management, and operational continuity.

Campground Patrol Operations

Campground patrol operations conducted before and during concert hours proved highly beneficial. Assigning dedicated personnel to the campground area ensured a timely law enforcement response to calls for service and emerging issues. Maintaining a visible law enforcement presence throughout the campground not only improved response capabilities but also enhanced deterrence and overall public safety. The staffing model proved effective and should be considered for future events.

Firearms Storage and Security

The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office equipment trailer was utilized as a centralized storage location for firearms confiscated or surrendered at event entry points. This process provided Night in the Country staff and security personnel with a secure and controlled location to temporarily store firearms until they could be collected, documented, and processed by a deputy. The procedure streamlined operations at the entrance gates, improved accountability, and ensured firearms were stored safely and securely throughout the event. This practice should continue as a best practice for future festivals.

It is recommended that the above-outlined improved implementations be retained for future events.

Conclusion:

The 2026 Night in the Country Music Festival Law Enforcement plan was conducted safely and successfully, with no major incidents and no reportable workplace injuries. The collaborative efforts of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Boys & Girls Club of Mason Valley, public safety partners, event staff, and contracted security personnel contributed significantly to the event’s success.

Overall, the Operations Plan functioned effectively and provided a solid framework for managing law enforcement resources and responding to incidents. While minor operational improvements were identified, the event demonstrated a high level of preparedness, coordination, and professionalism among all participating agencies.

The lessons learned and recommendations outlined in this report will be incorporated into planning efforts for the 2027 Night in the Country Music Festival.