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