Recent developments indicate that Nevada security officials have released a report to local media concerning emergency response plans that have been instituted by casinos. The report which was released by Las Vegas Review-Journal, a family entity of Las Vegas Sands billionaire Sheldon Adelson, painted the ugly picture of the state of emergency response plans by casinos across Silver State.
In October 2017, there was a mass shooting at the MGM casino. It was after the massacre that it became evident that both the police and the casinos had outdated security plans which could not appropriately respond to an emergency. It, therefore, became a requirement by the Nevada Division of Emergency Management (DEM), that each casino updates its emergency response plans, which would be submitted to the department by November 1.
However, the report revealed that 24 resorts had failed to file their new updated plans with the department. When some of the casinos were contacted, they said that they had filed their new plans. Then, out of the blues, the DEM report reduced the number of non-compliant resorts to three.
According to a post appearing in casino.org, sources agree that this is it and there are still some unswered questions. Of cause, there is not enough evidence to make this the actual conclusion. Complains from onlookers are that first, DEM refused to explain the mysterious reduction, but after much probing DEM spokesperson came out saying that when the list was handed over to the Gaming Control Board, the non-compliant resorts were contacted. Well, you don’t realy to be generous to something fishy in between the story.
Since then, most of them have sent their plans and they are in constant contact with those that have not. An unrevealed source at DEM revealed they were having problems with their database which could have been part of the reason for the initial long list.
The resorts that have not yet complied are Treasure Island, Sahara and Terrible. The response plans should include all information there is regarding the property to include routes to be used during an emergency.
In September, a report was released which revealed there were many dead zones inside casinos in Las Vegas. A dead zone is considered an area in where radio waves do not travel through. This impedes any communication via radio, which is critical for first responders during an emergency.
Following the report, laws were revised to require all buildings to be constructed in a way that allowed communication even in the most difficult areas such as the basement and the interior stairwells.
To this effect, a construction communication consultant said that sometimes it is difficult to maintain communication as there are a number of factors that contribute to the lack of. The construction materials, as well as proximity to the radio tower, are some of the factors that contribute.
The Cosmopolitan Casino, on the Las Vegas Strip, is reported to have implemented the Nevada fire code that was passed in 2009.
