Working with the Life Safety Team also Provides Critical Tools for Project Efficiency
March 30, 2022 – Lakewood, CO — The Life Safety team is a valuable asset that works to support projects from preconstruction to closeout. Led by Rich Salacinski, the team is responsible for ensuring life safety codes mandated by local fire departments and the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control are met on each Encore Electric project. Some of the life safety requirements that the team evaluates include the building’s electrical system’s ability to survive emergencies, such as fire or earthquakes, helping ensure the safety of the people and structure of the building.
The team is made up of Life Safety Technical Resource Rich Salacinski, Electrical Engineer Jeffrey Engelstad, and Foremen Dale Cole, Bill Zarowsky, Mark Hamilton, Erin Maxwell, Gabe Hipple, and Derek Montoya. The team is currently working on UCHealth Tower 3, NIST Wing 5, and Littleton Adventist Hospital and offering their expertise and advice to many other jobs around the region.
In addition to supporting life safety standards on projects, Salacinski and Engelstad are involved in organizations such as the Rocky Mountain Automatic Fire Alarm Association, where Engelstad is the acting president. This organization, and others like it, works to develop fire alarm specific training and research, as well as participate in code writing committees.
Life safety codes are some of the last details to be approved on projects but are some of the most important. Ensuring that safety codes are implemented into project designs efficiently and in a cost-effective way can help avoid last-minute delays, costs and logistical challenges on projects.
“By having sit downs with our project field teams to look over any survivability challenges along with tricks to save time and money, the Life Safety team has brought great value to our projects and saved us so many headaches,” said Pat Marsolek, superintendent. “It feels like we are just scratching the surface of opportunities to utilize the team’s expertise.”
The Life Safety Team is a resource that can assist on projects at any stage. They are prepared with the information necessary to support project teams through value engineering and meeting project location specific codes to produce a high-quality product for our customers.
On Encore Electric projects such as UCHealth Tower 3 and McGregor Square the team was involved before drawings were complete so fire alarm pathways were included in the projects’ initial designs. The proactive approach and design assist that the Life Safety Team provided on these projects’ teams save time and money, including reducing the need for high-cost survivability cabling.
“One of the ways we have been able to use this team is by bringing them onsite prior to our Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) or Certificate of Occupancy (CO) inspections and have them be mock inspectors on the project for all our systems,” said Marsolek. “They review drawings and permit sign offs needed prior to the Fire Marshal being onsite. They also help identify items that are needed to be addressed by others for the TCO of the project.”
“Rich and the Life Safety Team have added a great deal of value to many Encore Electric projects, from core shell office buildings to large complex hospitals,” said Project Manager Jonathan Emmons. “Their involvement in preconstruction, through the permitting process, all the way to the relationship with the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) has made the life safety on many projects successful. They do a great job bringing life safety systems from cradle to grave and making sure we don’t miss things along the way.”
The goal of the team is to collaborate on projects starting from the preconstruction stage, making sure that life safety requirements are implemented in project plans from the beginning. They are prepared to support the unique needs of any project to produce a final product that can stand up to challenges safely.
“The ‘heavy hitters’ on the life safety team are passionate about the work that we do. We want to be a resource on every project from the beginning. Including Life Safety in the preconstruction planning in the early stages of each project can help the safety requirements and codes be met the first time around,” said Rich Salacinski, Life Safety Technical Resource.
Contact Rich to get connected with a Life Safety expert and start collaborating on your project!
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