Fire Chief (Retired)
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue
Las Vegas, Nevada
Jeff Buchanan is a retired Fire Chief with more than 21 years of public safety and government experience, and now is a consultant and principal at The.Buchanan.Group LLC. As the Fire Chief for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue (LVF&R), Jeff had oversight of day-to-day operations for more than 800 employees and a total budget that is in excess of 200 million dollars. Previously, Jeff served in the role of public information officer and Deputy Fire Chief for Clark County Fire Department (CCFD) where he formed hundreds of media releases and was responsible for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and support services. He is the Southern Nevada Communications Council's previous chair, which manages an approximately 2-million dollar budget and 10,000 radios from various regional partners that include Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), local police and fire departments, and many others. Jeff has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements with various labor groups and has served in numerous roles, including subject matter expert and lead negotiator. Jeff is experienced in creating development agreements for High Impact Projects (HIP) where he has secured millions of dollars from developers to support the yearly purchase of capital assets.
His first leadership roles began in 1997 in the casino hotel industry, where he led staffs ranging from 80 to 200 personnel and managed budgets reaching 30-million dollars. In 2001, Jeff transitioned full-time to a public service career with the North Las Vegas Fire Department (NLVFD). In 2013, he was appointed as the fire chief for the NLVFD, and 7 months later accepted a dual role when he was named the interim city manager. As the interim city manager of North Las Vegas, Jeff and his team were instrumental in eliminating an 18-million dollar deficit and settling a lawsuit with the labor groups that saved the city over 30-million dollars. These successes were accomplished while maintaining service levels. Jeff has been responsible for public sector budgets ranging from 32-million to 432-million dollars.
Jeff is an adjunct instructor in the Master of Urban Leadership program at UNLV and an instructor at the College of Southern Nevada, where he has taught for 11 years. He has instructed and developed curriculum in leadership at the National Fire Academy and various other locations in the State and throughout the country. Chief Buchanan is a published author and has the qualification of Executive Fire Officer (EFO) and Chief Fire Officer (CFO).
Jeff is committed to education and holds a Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Public Policy (DPP). Jeff is a member of the fire emergency service higher education (FESHE) committee and various other advisory boards and groups that impact the fire service. Jeff is a past member of the board of directors for Easter Seals of Nevada, the past chair of the Governor appointed Nevada State Board of Fire Services, and the current First Vice President of the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Thursday, August 25, 2022
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM