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Lights Out At Mandalay Bay

The lights went out at Mandalay Bay last week leaving gamblers in the dark.
Matthew Schmitz/Twitter

The lights went out at Mandalay Bay last week leaving gamblers in the dark.

A power failure at Mandalay Bay last week darkened the casino at the south Strip resort, stopping play for nearly an hour.

No one was injured or evacuated in the noontime incident, but it did disrupt operations in the casino and at the front desk. It also allowed the hotel to put into practice the planning that goes into preparing for unexpected events.

“Everybody has a duty,” said Tommy Burns, a private security consultant and former head of security at Harrah’s and Green Valley Ranch. “Most of it is assisting guests and making sure there isn’t anything nefarious going on.”

Burns, who is also a retired Henderson police chief, pointed to last summer’s fire at the Cosmopolitan as an example of well-coordinated emergency response.

“Everybody marveled at how Cosmopolitan security and employees functioned in escorting people out of the pool, down the stairs … and how smooth that went,” said Burns, who wasn’t directly involved with either incident. “That comes with training and policies.”

Tommy Burns, security consultant and former Henderson police chief

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With deep experience in journalism, politics, and the nonprofit sector, news producer Doug Puppel has built strong connections statewide that benefit the Nevada Public Radio audience.