Las Vegas lawmakers unanimously approved the selection of the city's new fire chief Wednesday.
Jeff Buchanan was named acting fire chief in August after he was selected by City Manager Jorge Cervantes, the department announced online Wednesday. He takes over William McDonald, who will became Alameda County's fire chief on Aug. 17.
Buchanan joined Las Vegas Fire & Rescue as a senior deputy chief in February, a role he held at the same time as acting chief. Before joining the Las Vegas department, he had been deputy chief for the Clark County Fire Department since 2014.
Previously, Buchanan worked in a variety of roles with the City of North Las Vegas for 13 years. Along with serving as a firefighter, paramedic and SWAT medic, he also held dual positions as fire chief and interim city manager.
At today’s city council meeting, the Las Vegas City Council unanimously ratified the selection of Jeff Buchanan as Fire...
Posted by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Buchanan is an adjunct instructor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the College of Southern Nevada, where he has taught for nine years. He currently is pursuing his doctorate in Public Policy from UNLV, which he is on track to receive in May 2021.
Buchanan is the first vice president for the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association and chair of the state's governor-appointed Board of Fire Services. He also has taught and established curriculum for the National Fire Academy's leadership programs.
