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in Southern Nevada |
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in Southern Nevada |
Public safety is of vital importance to every citizen and visitor to Southern Nevada and is one of the most fundamental and valuable services provided by government.
Rapid growth and development in Southern Nevada has increased the number of emergency service calls, particularly at the perimeter of the urban areas where facilities are not available. Fire, medical and hazardous materials emergencies have increased over 155% and law enforcement service calls have increased 87% over the past decade. Even though the county has experienced rapid growth and development, the Clark County Fire Department (CCFD) was the first county in the United States to obtain a ISO Class 1 (Insurance Service Office) Rating. ISO ratings are a measure of a fire protection district/area’s ability to prevent, control and extinguish fire. These ratings form the basis for fire insurance rates throughout the United States. The CCFD’s ability to obtain the highest rating of ISO Class 1 has resulted in lower insurance rates to the residents of Clark County. CCFD currently has mutual and automatic aid agreements with other fire protection agencies of the Las Vegas valley to assist in time of need. It is also important to note that even with high demand on available services and an increase in population, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) can also point to favorable results in recent years. Southern Nevada has experienced reduced crime levels from prior years. In addition, Metro holds the distinction of being the first police department in Nevada to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), and is listed as an exemplary agency by CALEA.
Continued population growth and visitor volume to Southern Nevada will increase demands for emergency services beyond current levels. Public safety planning requires consideration of both the level and location of facilities and services. Buildings, equipment and other capital facilities for emergency services such as fire and police have typically been funded through the jurisdictions’ general funds and supplemented by bond issues for capital improvements. Local voters have consistently demonstrated a commitment to funding emergency services by approving those bond issues. For instance, due to the lack of adequate judicial, detention, and juvenile service facilities, local voters approved the issuance of $120 million of public safety bonds in 1995. The bond proceeds are going towards the funding of a Regional Justice Center, a Detention Center Expansion of approximately 1,400 new beds, and the expansion and renovation of Family and Youth Services facilities. The majority of the necessary funding for public safety lies with the operations and maintenance of the facilities rather than the actual cost of building the facilities. Long-range capital and financial planning will help to minimize the financial impact while continuing to provide the highest level of public safety that our community desires.
The SNSPA Needs Assessment Committee identified standards of 1.3 fire personnel per 1,000 population and 2.0 police officers per 1,000 population for Southern Nevada. A standard for the location of fire stations was also identified as stations not being located more than three miles apart by road travel which equates to a five-minute response time. The Committee supports consideration of establishing a regional training center and communications center if it is an efficient option for the Las Vegas valley. Also, levels of service were developed for both Fire and Emergency Medical Services and Law Enforcement for the next twenty years.
The SNSPA Infrastructure Finance Committee concluded that any shortfalls in availability of general fund revenues for either Fire and Emergency Medical Services or Law Enforcement would require additional revenue source(s). In addition, variation in estimated costs to fund infrastructure over the next 10 years indicates that the CIPs, the agency estimates, and the Needs Assessment Committee’s standards should be revised to reflect a common definition of the infrastructure needs for both Fire and Emergency Medical Services and Law Enforcement in Southern Nevada.
OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES A. Coordinate the provision of adequate emergency services with both land use and capital facilities planning. 1. Encourage long-range capital facility planning and construction that is compatible with land-use planning goals and objectives.
2. Continue to integrate adequate emergency services into the planning and development approval process.
3. Ensure that the provision of all necessary fire and police facilities occurs concurrently with development.
B. Reduce the ways individuals can be harmed in the physical environment. 1. Continue to enforce all codes created for public safety, such as: building, fire, zoning, and housing.
2. Adopt standards that allow adequate provision of emergency services and prevention of crime through environmental design.
3. Continue efforts to relocate potentially harmful industrial uses away from urban areas.
4. Prepare and coordinate plans addressing transportation, storage, and potential emergency handling/clean-up of radioactive or other hazardous wastes.
5. Continue to cooperate on multi-jurisdictional land use planning and regulation efforts within airport environs, both public and military.
C. Continue high levels of cooperation among all appropriate departments and agencies in the provision of fire and police protection, prevention, and emergency medical services. 1. Continue to implement mutual and automatic aid agreements with other jurisdictions in Southern Nevada in order to optimize resources and funding.
2. Establish a cooperative process among jurisdictions for the appropriate siting of public safety facilities that best serves all Southern Nevadans.
OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES A. Continue to achieve and maintain the highest national ratings in regards to prevention, control, and the extinguishing of fires. 1. Continue to appropriately locate and build fire and emergency medical service stations utilizing the 1.5 mile response radius to achieve a five minute response time.
2. Seek to hire and train qualified fire and emergency medical services personnel to meet the Authority recommended standard of 1.3 fire personnel per 1,000 population needed to achieve a five minute response time.
3. Explore funding options to build and staff the fire and emergency medical facilities which would satisfy the current needs and future projections for public safety.
OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES A. Continue prevention, control, and reduction of crime. 1. Seek to hire the adequate number of law enforcement personnel to meet the Authority recommended standard of 2.0 law enforcement personnel per 1,000 population.
2. Build substations as required to accommodate population growth.
3. Provide sufficient space for operations and support facilities.
4. Explore funding options to build and staff the law enforcement facilities which would satisfy the current needs and future projections for public safety in Southern Nevada.
5. Build regional facilities including:
a. A new detention center.
b. An updated, regional communications center.
c. A regional law enforcement training facility.6. Encourage local Parks & Recreation departments and other organizations to develop youth programs and gang intervention programs.
7. Encourage responsive legislative solutions to addressing crime.