// Codes and Standards Development
The Koffel team’s thorough knowledge of the Life Safety Code®, building codes and fire codes, along with our ability to incorporate the rationale of these codes and standards into your project’s compliance, is rooted not just in our professional training and experience, but also in our active involvement in helping develop these important codes and standards for our industry.
Significant Code Changes Participation
Because our engineers participate in numerous code committees, we help develop the design guidelines that we then implement in your projects.
Let’s admit it. Making a difference—a positive difference—just feels good. We submit proposals on behalf of our industry-association and industry-related clients. And when it all comes together, many of those proposals result in significant code changes. These changes not only assist you, but also improve our industry.
The Koffel team is heavily involved in the following associations— effecting change, developing design guidelines, and protecting people and structures:
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- International Code Council (ICC)
- International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICCES)
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- Underwriters Laboratory (UL)
Committee Participation
Koffel Associates' fire protection engineering professionals currently serve—or previously served—in committee roles for codes and standards development with industry entities including:
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- E-5 Fire Standards
- E-6 Performance of Buildings
- Technical Advisory Committee on Certfication of Firestop Personnel
International Code Council (ICC)
- Means of Egress Code Development (IEBC, IBC, IFC)
- Existing Building Code Development (IEBC)
- ICC Standard Consensus Committee on Commissioning
- Code Technology Committee (CTC)
- Technical Committee on Commissioning and Integrated Testing
Maryland State Fire Prevention Commission
- MD Building Rehabilitation Code Council - Commission Rep
- MD State Fire Prevention Commission
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA Correlating Committees
- NFPA 13: Automatic Sprinkler System
- NFPA 72: Signaling Systems for the Protection of Life and Property
- NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code
- NFPA 101®: Safety to Life, Chair
- NFPA 5000®: Building Construction and Safety Code®
NFPA Technical Committees
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- NFPA 1: Fire Code
- NFPA 3: Commissioning of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems
- NFPA 4: Integrated Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems
- NFPA 10: Portable Fire Extinguishers
- NFPA 25: Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Systems, Chair
- NFPA 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
- Storage and Warehousing of Containers and Portable Tanks
- NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
- NFPA 75: Electronic Computer Systems
- NFPA 80 and 105: Fire Doors and Windows
- NFPA 82: Incinerators and Waste and Linen Handling Systems, Former Chair
- NFPA 92 and 204: Smoke Management Systems
- NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities
- Fundamentals of Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems
- Emergency Communication Systems
- Health Care Emergency Management and Security
- Fundamentals
- Piping Systems, Chair
- NFPA 101®: Life Safety Code®
- Board and Care Facilities, Former Chair
- Detention & Correctional Occupancies
- Fire Protection Features
- Fundamentals
- Furnishings and Contents
- Health Care Occupancies
- Means of Egress, Two Former Chairs
- Residential Occupancies, Chair
- Business and Mercantile Occupancies
- Education Occupancies: Educational and Daycare Facilities
- NFPA 115: Laser Fire Protection, Chair
- NFPA 130: Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems
- NFPA 150: Animal Housing Facilities
- NFPA 214: Water Cooling Towers
- NFPA 251 through 290: Fire Tests
- NFPA 555, 556, 557: Hazard and Risk of Contents and Furnishings
- NFPA 1037: Professional Qualifications for Fire Marshals
- NFPA 1122, 1123, 1124, 1125: Pyrotechnics Committee, Former Chair
- NFPA 5000®: Building Construction and Safety Code®
- Board and Care Facilities, Former Chair
- Detention & Correctional Occupancies
- Fire Protection Features
- Fundamentals
- Furnishings and Contents
- Health Care Occupancies
- Means of Egress, Two Former Chairs
- Residential Occupancies, Former Chair
- Business and Mercantile Occupancies
- Education Occupancies: Educational and Daycare Facilities
- NFPA 101A: Alternative Approaches to Life Safety (FSES), Former Chair
NFPA Research Foundation
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- Project Technical Panel (PTP) "Fire Pump Field Data Collection and Analysis" Study
- Project Technical Panel (PTP) "Developing A Quantitative Method for Height and Area Limitations"
- Project Technical Panel (PTP) "Validation of the Fire Safety Evaluation System (FSES) in the 2013 Edition of NFPA 101A" Study
- Project Technical Panel (PTP) "Evaluating Occupant Load Factors for Ambulator Health Care Facilities" Study Koffel Associates' fire protection engineering professionals also work with, attend and appear before the International Code Council Evaluation Services (ICC-ES) Committee, the United States' leader in evaluating building products for compliance with code.
Underwritters Laboratory
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- UL 1821 STP Thermoplastic Sprinkler Pipe and Fittings for Fire Protection Service
- UL 1994 STP The Standard for Safety of Low Level Path Marking and Lighting Systems