Michael A. Crowley P.E., FSFPE, SASHE is a fire protection engineer with Jensen Hughes in Houston. He is a member of the NFPA 101 Technical Committee on Means of Egress and Healthcare, Committee Chair of the Correlating Committee of NFPA 99, and member of NFPA 101A Technical Committee. Crowley provides consulting services to architects engineers and health care facility operators.
This month, a consultant and NFPA committee chairman looks at the major items involved in a hospital’s life safety design. Like the fire risks themselves, the assorted relevant codes are evolving with regard to specifics like smoke dampers. HVAC wall penetrations, alarm zoning, and response plans are just three other aspects to consider in this demanding design environment.
