Las Vegas Fire & Rescue reports improved plan-review turnaround, outlines training and staffing steps

David Cross, fire plans review section manager for Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, told the committee the division has focused on restoring consistency in plan review and inspections. He said the office's two-week turnaround goal is being met roughly 86% of the time (about a 5% improvement compared with the same period last year) and that staffing changes include filling a long-vacant inspector-supervisor position and backfilling two inspection roles with trainees.

Cross said the division has experienced changes in review volume; in his remarks he referenced a 35% decrease in completed reviews over a prior comparison period and separately described that figure as a 20% increase compared with the same time last year. (The transcript contained both comparisons; the department confirmed it is reviewing internal reporting to reconcile the different baselines.)

Cross told members the division is developing a formal reviewer-training program that will standardize plan-review practices, expand consistency between reviewers and speed onboarding for new staff. He said the department will also evaluate process improvements to streamline reviews and reduce variability across plan reviewers.

Member Tatum asked for more detail about the training and how often it will occur; Cross said the program is new and will be rolled out with defined steps for new hires and existing staff, and he agreed to report back on outcomes in future meetings.