APPA Facilities Manager, November/December 2022– Remote Inspections, Tests, and Monitoring Fire Protection Systems
Read as Bill Koffel discusses how new technology for remote inspections, tests, and monitoring of fire protection systems required by various NFPA standards can be performed at a lower cost and in a less labor-intensive manner. In this article Bill will also touch on the new NFPA standard that will address remote inspection and testing methodologies and procedures.

Fire Protection Engineering, Q3, 2021, Issue #91 magazine - Page 46 - 52 - How has the World Trade Center Impacted the Practice of Fire Protection Engineering.

ASHE’s Health Facilities Management Magazine, September 2019 – Automated Equipment Inspection and Testing
Read as Bill Koffel discusses in the September 2019 issue of ASHE’s Health Facilities Management Magazine how much money is being spent every year on inspections and tests of automated building equipment and systems in health care facilities.  In this article, Bill talks about recent technologies that have been recognized and can now be used to reduce the tasks that need to be performed manually, reducing infection controls risks and the drain on resources.  Bill also addresses technology acceptance challenges, the benefits of automatic testing equipment, and innovative ways to perform inspections and tests that are currently being performed manually.

January 2019 – Existing Building Code Essentials, 2018 Edition
Read as Bill Koffel (author) and Clay Aler (co-author), explains code provisions essential to understanding the application of the 2018 International Existing Building Code^® to the most commonly encountered building practices.  In this publication you will learn about the administrative provisions that building departments use to enforce the building code; provisions related to various approaches in the design, construction and evaluation of construction work; life safety issue methods used in design and construction to ensure occupants are provided with a safe means of evacuating a building in an emergency situation; provisions that allow people with physical disabilities to access buildings; and health safety provisions regarding protection and interior environment.

Click here to order a copy of the Existing Building Code Essentials, 2018 Edition

March 2019 – Know the Updates to NFPA 72-2019
Read as Bill Koffel discusses what’s new in the most recent version of NFPA 72-2019 and highlights some of the more significant changes between 2019 and 2016 Editions of NFPA 72 in the March 2019 issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine.

March 2019 – Understanding Recent Door Inspection and Maintenance Codes

December 2018 -Project FAIL-SAFE (Factually Analyzing Integrated Layers of Safety Against Fire's Effects)
Read as Bill Koffel summarizes three of the four steps in Project FAIL-SAFE including: Literature Review, Computer Modeling, and Matrix Development and Analysis as appeared in the Winter 2018 issue of Life Safety Digest on pages 14-15.

June 2018 -Understanding the fire safety requirements in NFPA 99-2012
Read as Bill Koffel discusses the importance of understanding the fire safety requirements in NFPA 99-2012 and the critical relationship to hospitals and health care facilities in the June 2018 issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine.

April 2018 -Complying with Locking Requirements
Read as Lennon Peake decodes the locking-arrangement requirements of the 2012 edition of NFPA 101 and the 2018 edition of the IBC for the design of code-compliant locking arrangements that also meet security requirements in the Winter 2017 Issue of ASHE’s Health Facilities Management Magazine.

July 2017 -Assessing Wireless Fire Alarm Systems
Read as Bill Koffel discusses the importance of why fire protection engineers should assess the costs, benefits, history, technology, and code-compliance aspects of low-power wireless fire alarm systems and wireless smoke alarms in the July 2017 issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine.

Summer 2017 -7 Million sq ft, 6 weeks; The Challenge of Performing Life Safety Assessments for Large Spaces
Read as Lennon Peake discusses the challenges of performing Life Safety Assessments in the Summer 2017: Volume 25, Issue 2 of Inside ASHE Magazine.

May 2017 -Clean Agent Fire Suppression Systems for Mission Critical Facilities
Read as Lee Draper discusses how clean agent systems have changed over the years and how design parameters and codes and standards dictate the specifications and of clean agent systems on Page 68 in the May 2017 issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer Magazine.

February 2017 -Applying NFPA 101 in Mission Critical Facilities
Read as Bill Koffel discusses how to apply NFPA 101^® in mission critical facilities and how these facilities, including: health care, industrial, and other buildings, rely on the Life Safety Code^® to define fire and life safety strategies in the January/February 2017 Issue of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magazine.

Winter 2016 - Changes to fire door inspection and testing requirements in the 2012 Life Safety Code
Read as Lennon Peake discusses the 2012 Life Safety Code changes to fire door inspection and testing requirements in the Winter 2016, Issue 72 of Inside ASHE Magazine.

Q4 2016 - Smoke Control System Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Read as Erik Anderson and Kristin Steranka discuss the importance of considering systems design as an essential step to ensure a smoke control system can be properly inspected, tested, and maintained in the Q4 issue of Fire Protection Engineering Magazine.

September 2016 - Applying NFPA 75 in Data Centers Read as Mark Aaby discusses how to apply NFPA 75 and how it effects data center design. He also examines the changes to the new edition of NFPA 75 in the September 2016 Issue of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magazine.

Summer 2016 - Understanding the codes: NFPA 101® requirements Read as Bill Koffel answers questions received by code consultants, design professionals, and health care facilities personnel about the requirements of NFPA 101® in the Summer 2016 Issue of Inside Ashe Magazine.

Summer 2016 - Understanding the codes: NFPA 101® requirements Read as Bill Koffel answers questions received by code consultants, design professionals, and health care facilities personnel about the requirements of NFPA 101® in the Summer 2016 Issue of Inside Ashe Magazine.

Q2 2016 - A Roundtable Discussion Regarding Residential Fire Safety Read as Bill Koffel leads a roundtable discussion with industry leaders from around the world regarding Residential Fire Safety. Gain an understanding of worldwide residential fire-related problems and solutions in Issue 70 of Fire Protection Engineering Magazine.

July 2016 - The future of professional engineers: training and mentoring Helping young professionals become experts in the fire protection engineering field is a top priority at Koffel Associates, and we pride ourselves on the talent that we employ and the programs we have to keep them. Read as Bill Koffel, and several other industry professionals, participate in a question/answer session about recruiting, mentoring, training and keeping young engineers and ensuring the future success of the firm.

May 2016 - Smoke Control Design Considerations Read as Erik Anderson, Shaun Wrightson, and Nick Sealover provide an overview of NFPA 92: Standard for Smoke Control Systems and how fire protection engineers should apply it in design in the May 2016 issue of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magazine.

May 2016 - Just Fact Read as Samuel S. Dannaway, PE, FSFPE, President of S.S. Dannaway Associates Inc. Honolulu discusses how Koffel Associates' very own Vice President, Jim Lathrop,  provided a simple solution to a big problem regarding areas of rescue assistance that lead the way for change in the May 2016 issue of Plumbing Engineer Magazine.

January/February 2016 - Designing with NFPA 101-2015 Read as Bill Koffel discusses some of the more significant changes between the 2015 and 2012 Editions of NFPA 101® and be reminded that revisions are always ongoing and that the 2018 Edition is already in progress in the January/February 2016 issue of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magazine

October 2015 - Protecting Our Schools
Read as Bill Koffel discusses how the fire protection engineer's job has become more complex due to our schools becoming multi-use buildings. This article can be found on page 28 in the October 2015 issues of Consulting-Specifying Engineers Magazine.

October 2015 - Documentation and Communication of ITM
Read as Erik Anderson discusses how communicating your ITM findings with the building owner, both verbally and in writting, will shield you from liability and protect the owner from potential fire loss. Communicating any issues found in the field may not be a legal responsibility, but it is a moral one. This article can be found in the October 2015 issues of FPC Magazine.

September 2015 - Updates, changes to NFPA 13
Read as Mark Aaby discusses updates and changes to NFPA 13 in the current edition (2013) and 2016 in the September 2015 Edition of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magizine.

August 2015 - NFPA 13 Updates 10 Important Updates
Read as Mark Aaby discusses 10 important updates to NFPA 13 in the current edition (2013) and 2016.

July 2015 - Improving Fire Safety Performance
Read as Bill Koffel discusses strategies for handling the most commonly sited problems in health care organizations in the July 2015 issue of HFM Magazine.

June 2015 - Inspection and Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems
Read as Bill Koffel discusses why it is critical for owners to assume the responsibility for proper inspection, testing, and maintenance of their fire protection systems and when the responsibilities are divided they are clearly defined in Issue 62 of IFP Magazine. He shows the importance of the documentation and sharing of data so standards and programs can be implemented to make our fire protection systems more reliable.

June 2015 - Fire Engineering Versus Prescribe Fire Protection
Read as Bill Koffel discusses the differences between performance-based design and the prescriptive code approach in Issue 62 of IFP Magazine. He shows how with its increase in popularity, performance-based design is more likely to be used where performance based code is the primary code and that prescriptive code is mostly used where prescriptive code is the primary code.

April 2015 - Interpreting NFPA 72
Read as Bill Koffel provides an overview of NFPA 72-2013 for both wired and wireless fire alarm systems, including identifying some of the significant changes to the 2013 edition, and discusses how engineers must understand how NFPA 72-2013 can be specified into commercial buildings.

March 2015 - Fire Safety Teamwork and Effective Communication
Read as Bill Koffel discusses the importance of teamwork and communication from all involved parties to provide the proper level of fire safety in a process area or building in Issue 61 of IFP Magazine. Situations and fire incidents where team members failed to perform their responsibilities are highlighted in this article as well as a solution to the problem.

March 2015 - Evaluating Occupant Load Factors for Ambulatory Health Care Facilities
Read as Bill Koffel and Kristin Steranka discuss the research used to capture and compare data in the United States and Spain, on evaluating occupant load factors for ambulatory health care facilities.

February 2015 - Fire Protection Requirements for Health Care Facilities - An Overview of NFPA 99
Read as Bill Koffel, Jim Lathrop, Sharon Gilyeat, Samantha White, and Kristin Steranka discuss the fire safety related requirements in NFPA 99-2012 in the February 2015 edition of Fire Protection Engineer Magazine.

November 2014 - Maintaining Sprinkler Systems as they Age
Read as Bill Koffel discusses how NFPA 25: Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems maintenance requirements do not vary as a function of the age of the system, but there are some limited test requirements for system components based upon the age of the system, in the November 2014, FPE Emerging Trends enewsletter.

September 2014 - Engineering considerations of NFPA 101
Read as Bill Koffel discusses how NFPA 101: Life Safety Code defines a building’s egress, along with numerous fire and life safety systems in the September 2014 Edition of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magizine.

September 2014 - Updates, Changes to NFPA 75 Affect Data Centers
Read as Mark Aaby discusses how the 2016 Edition of NFPA 75: Standard for the Fire Protection Information Technology (IT) Equipment may include changes to risk assessment approach users of the document must take in the September 2014 Edition of Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magizine.

August 2014 - Horizontal Exits - Dream or Nightmare?
Read as Sharon Gilyeat and Allison Ellis descibe Horizontal Exits, explain how to properly design them, and give examples of common pitfalls found in projects.

August 2014 - A Passive Smoke Control Design
As seen in the 3rd Quarter 2014 Edition of Fire Protection Engineering Magazine – Tiffney Cates Chen discusses the design approach and criteria for the new Engineering, Aviation, Computer and Mathematical Sciences building at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Campus in Princess Anne, MD.

July/August 2014 - Inside Threat
Read as Jim Lathrop discusses interior finishes and the fire safety issues they present in the July/August 2014 issue of NFPA Journal. He shows how this is not just a problem of the past, but a very real problem we face today. Although NFPA, the International Building Code and the International Fire Code of the International Code Council have different approaches to this subject all of the requirements are very similar, if not identical.

March 2014 - Maintaining Your Fire Protection System – Who is Responsible?
Read as Bill Koffel discusses the importance of how a properly designed, constructed, and maintained health care facility and well trained staff with an understanding of fire growth, their assigned role during an emergency and adequate resources will result in a more favorable outcome in a fire-related emergency in Issue 57 of IFP Magazine.

March 2014 - NFPA 92 defines design, testing of smoke control systems
As seen in the March 2014 Edition of the Consulting - Specifying Engineer Magazine, Bill Koffel and Nick Sealover discuss NFPA 92 and the upcoming changes to the Code.

Winter 2014 - Barrier Smarts
As seen in the January/February 2014 Edition of the NFPA Journal, Bill Koffel and George Mills discuss using compartmentation to maintain fire and smoke barriers.

For more information regarding the Barrier Management Symposium mentioned in the article, go to http://fcia.org/barriermanagementsymposium.htm

Fall 2013 - Why the sprinkler system inspection, testing and maintenance Provisions of NFPA 25 are getting a thorough once-over
Recently, questions have arisen regarding the scope of NFPA 25 and whether the standard is adequate to ensure the successful operation of automatic sprinkler systems. As seen in the Cover Story of the Fall 2013 Edition of the NFPA Journal, Bill Koffel explains "Why the sprinkler system inspection, testing and maintenance provisions of NFPA 25 are getting a thorough once-over"

Fall 2013 - Case Study - Water Mist Fire Suppression System.
As seen in FS-World.com Magazine Fall 2013 Edition, Mark Aaby describes the selection criterion that was used to arrive at a high pressure ware mist fire protection system for a waste water pumping station located in the center of a large city.

Summer 2013 - Q&A: A Balanced Approach
As seen on pages 40-42 of the ASHE Advocacy Report 2013, Bill Koffel discusses a balanced approach to health care codes and standards with ASHE Director of Codes and Standards Chad Beebe.

July 2013 - Restroom Fire Safety
As seen in American School & University Magazine, Jim Lathrop coauthored this article extolling the merits of using NFPA 286 Standard Methods of Fire Testing for Evaluating Contribution to Wall and Ceiling Interior Finish to Room Fire Growth, to test any interior finish made of Polypropylene (PP) or High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) regardless of whether the local jurisdiction has adopted the latest editions of the ICC or NFPA codes. The increased use of PP and HDPE in building materials makes complying with NFPA 286 “what a prudent person would do”. Click here for the full article.

July 2013 - A Word of Caution - New facilities vs. Existing facilities.
As seen in Inside ASHE Summer 2013 Edition - Bill Koffel explains how the NFPA 101 requirements regarding reducing or eliminating fire protection features once a facility turns from a new building into an existing building are not being properly applied.

May 2013 - Key nonstructural changes to 2012 IBC.
As seen in Consulting - Specifying Engineer magazine, Bill Koffel describes the significant nonstructural changes to the 2012 International Building Code that typically impact consulting and specifying engineers.

May 2013 - Smoke Control in Very Tall Buildings – Past, Present and Future
As seen in Fire Protection Engineering 2nd Quarter Edition, Erik Anderson, P.E. provides an overview of engineered smoke control systems in very tall buildings, which use mechanical means to produce pressure differentials across barriers to inhibit smoke spread. The author discusses code trends of the past and some of the relevant design considerations for smoke control in very tall buildings of the future.

April, 2013 - Suite Talk - Is Your Facility Benefiting from Suites?
In the Spring 2013 issue of Inside ASHE, Bill Koffel and Diana Hugue provide tips to bring additional storage, greater operational efficiency, and increased design flexibility through the use of suites. Below are links to additional information.

Suite Talk - Is Your Facility Benefiting from Suites? as found in Inside ASHE.

NFPA interpretation of dead-end corridor in a health care occupancy.

Additional Specific Suite requirements

Fall 2012 - As seen in FICA's Life Safety Digest Fall 2012 Edition article Smoke Control in High-Rise Buildings, read as Josh Talley and Sharon Gilyeat discuss the general history and evolution of smoke control requirements for high-rise buildings and identify some of the discrepancies found in the various building codes. The article details some of the passive and active methods developed and some of the events that spear-headed the need for additional smoke control provisions in these higher risk buildings. The article particularly stresses the importance of passive smoke control by means of compartmentation and protection of required joints, through-penetrations and membrane penetrations and the role of the fire department’s post-fire overhaul operations for smoke removal.

September 2012 - As seen in NFPA's article Are you a code enforcer? Join a technical committee today, read as Bill Koffel describes the benefits to participating on a technical committee.

May, 2012 -Hospital Build Infrastructure Magazine….A Suite Arrangement - The Benefits of Utilizing the Suite Allowances of the Life Safety Code 2012 Edition
Koffel Associates' Registered Fire Protection Engineer Diana Hugue, P.E helps clarify the revised suite requirements found in the 2012 Edition of the Life Safety Code, and discusses the many positives of using suites, including increasing storage space on the unit.

March, 2012 - Analysis of Sprinkler Design Criteria for High Air Movement Areas
As presented by Bill Koffel and Samantha White at the SUPDET 2012.

February, 2012 - Deficiencies + Equivalencies
Bill Koffel and Jen Frecker provide tips on using the 2012 Edition of NFPA 101®, Life Safety Code® for achieving compliance in health care facilities in the February/March 2012 Edition of the NFPA Journal®.

February, 2012 - Critical Factors in Determining Evacuation Strategy
Bill Koffel, President of Koffel Associates, highlights the critical factors associated with various evacuation strategies in the February 2012 Edition of International Fire Protection Magazine.

Fall, 2011 - Society of Fire Protection Engineers Position Statement P-05-11: Building Information Modeling and Fire Protection Engineering
As a member of the SFPE Task Group, Patti Zimmerman, Support Services Principal of Koffel Associates, assisted in drafting the position statement.