VIDEO: New homes must have indoor sprinklers, according to an ordinance passed by the Clark County Commission.
The rule applies to single-family homes, duplexes and townhomes starting in March 2024. The cities of Las Vegas, Henderson and Reno have similar requirements for new construction.
There is a national push by fire safety advocates and fire departments to require such mandates.
The Clark County Fire Department issued a report with findings on how critical indoor sprinklers are to saving property and lives, describing how indoor sprinklers can intervene within a critical window. Indoor sprinklers will typically turn on two minutes after a fire starts.
National fire standards dictate that crews should arrive in less than seven minutes; however, Fire Chief John Steinbeck reiterates how that may be too late, even if a home has working smoke alarms.