Essential Hospital Life Safety Design: Compliance with IBC and NFPA 101

AIAU25-AAH04

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1.0 LU|HSW

Live course date: 07/08/2025 | 02:00 PM

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Description

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 | 2:00-3:00pm EST

Designing healthcare facilities requires a deep understanding of life safety systems that protect patients, staff, and visitors. This presentation is tailored to expand designers’ knowledge of life safety requirements and gain practical tools for integrating these critical elements into hospital and ambulatory care design. Through an exploration of passive fire protection strategies, attendees will gain clarity on the often complex and overlapping requirements found in the International Building Code (IBC) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. We will look at egress requirements tailored to healthcare occupancies and explore how to approach egress planning that meets code, supports operations, and prioritizes life safety.

In addition to passive strategies, the session will address active systems, offering an overview of basic design requirements for fire alarm and sprinkler systems. Designed to be both informative and actionable, this session will equip attendees with tools to better collaborate with engineers, code consultants, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to create projects are both compliant and safe.

Learning Objectives

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Understand passive fire protection strategies, including similarities and differences between the IBC and NFPA requirements for each system.

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Identify the requirements for each passive system; including wall construction, door hardware, duct penetrations, and firestopping.

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Analyze and understand how to implement egress requirements in hospital and ambulatory healthcare settings.

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Consider basic design requirements for fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems as well as highlight common deficiencies.

Hosted in partnership with the Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH).

AAH

Instructors

Sam Beckman

AIA

As President and Principal at ACI Boland, Sam is recognized for his exceptional leadership and mentorship skills within the firm and the broader community. With a passion for developing other’s talents combined with over 25 years of healthcare design experience, Sam understands how to skillfully arrange and bring the team together to achieve and surpass client’s desired outcomes. His personality makes him readily approachable, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Outside of work Sam stays busy with his competition barbecue team, fishing, working on his 100-year-old home, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

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Mark Chrisman

PE, PhD

Mark joined Henderson Engineers in 2004 and quickly began establishing client relationships that he still maintains today. As the healthcare sector executive, Mark coordinates strategy to support Henderson’s healthcare sector clients and partners across North America. He has designed healthcare environments for some of the biggest names in the industry, providing technical expertise and often working in tandem with our team of healthcare specialists at our sister company, Henderson Building Solutions. Mark is heavily involved with many professional organizations, including ASHE, NFPA, and ICC, among others, and was recognized as the outstanding Building Professional on Healthcare Design’s 2020 HCD 10.

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Rosemary Nelson

AIA

Rosemary is a University of Kansas Master of Architecture graduate and has a decade of experience in healthcare architecture. She is currently a project manager at ACI Boland Architects in Kansas City and specializes in freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Centers.  

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