U.S. Department of veterans affairs

SGH performed Statement of Conditions (SOC) surveys at the building and preparation of health care SOC documentation to identify areas that are not compliant with the requirements of NFPA 101, as adopted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Our field surveys included assessing existing fire protection features and identifying deficiencies in each building. Highlights of our work include the following:

• Documenting deficiencies in existing fire protection features, including exterior exit doors, exit stairs/ramps (exterior or interior), smoke-proof enclosures, horizontal exits, exit passageways, fire barriers, fire compartments, smoke barriers, smoke compartments, hazardous areas, suites, and linen/trash chutes.
• Evaluating the conditions of fire resistance-rated wall assemblies, including dampers and wall penetrations, smoke barriers, and floor assemblies above the ceiling
• Identifying deficiencies with respect to fire barrier integrity, fire door rating and/or performance, sprinkler spacing, fire alarm location, and smoke detector spacing
• Assessing spaces for proper occupancy classification

SGH used customized software, allowing us to organize our observations, integrate photos, locate deficiencies on existing life safety drawings with a photo for each entry, and present the VA with a deficiency log.

As part of this work, SGH performs bi-annual audits to field verify existing conditions and document modifications made to accommodate evolving technologies and changes in space configurations.