NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code: Navigating the Plan Review and Documentation Process

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NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code: Navigating the Plan Review and Documentation Process
Warren Olsen, FSCI David Lowrey, City of Boulder Fire Rescue

The fire alarm system plan review process is often delayed because of poor or incomplete submittals. This session will describe the necessary minimum documentation requirements found in NFPA 72 which, if properly provided during the permit application process, will increase the chances that an applicant's fire alarm plans and specifications will be approved in a single submittal. The presenters will walk through the documentation process, discussing the minimum requirements found in NFPA 72, the importance of each item, and how each of the requirements should be documented. The session will be of value to both those who submit plans and the AHJs who review them for code compliance.

Presented by:

Warren Olsen, FSCI
Warren Olsen has spent more than 40 years in fire protection. He is a retired Battalion Chief from the Hoffman Estates Fire Department where he served for more than 30 years. Since 1979, he has worked as a fire protection consultant. Currently, he works as the Vice President with the consulting firm of Fire Safety Consultants in Elgin, IL. Warren specializes in building- and life safety-related codes and fire alarm systems and standards. He is the current chairperson of the Technical Committee on Supervising Station Fire Alarms for NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, and formerly served on the Technical Committee for Notification Appliances. He also serves on technical committees for NFPA 3, NFPA 4, and NFPA 720. Warren teaches nationally for the NFPA and frequently provides classes to fire inspectors on NFPA 72.He is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist and a Certified Building Code Official.

David Lowrey, City of Boulder Fire Rescue
David Lowrey serves as Chief Fire Marshal with the City of Boulder Fire Rescue in Colorado. Lowrey has been with Boulder Fire for 19 years. He oversees operations in the Community Risk Reduction Division, including code enforcement, building construction, life safety education, and fire investigations. He has extensive experience in plan review as well as inspecting and acceptance testing of fire protection systems. David currently serves as a principal on the NFPA 13 Technical Committee for Installation as well as the NFPA 13 correlating committee. He is the current chair of the NFPA 72 Technical Committee on Notification Appliances and an alternate on technical committees for NFPA 3 and NFPA 4. Lowrey earned a BS in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology at Oklahoma State University.