Introduction to Fire Protection Design
- Course Number: F1004
- Credits: 5 hours
- Instructor: Ellen Huang, PE
- Price: $50
Course Outline
This course introduces the fundamentals of fire protection design using the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Fire Protection Design Manual. It explains the manual’s life-safety and property/mission-continuity goals, how VA projects apply nationally recognized codes and standards (including NFPA 101 and related NFPA documents), and how to translate those requirements into practical building features and systems. Topics include construction and compartmentation features, protection of openings, special hazard considerations, water supply and fire pumps, automatic extinguishing systems (sprinklers/standpipes and special systems), and fire alarm system intent and typical operation.
At the end of this course, there will be a multiple-choice, open-book quiz designed to enhance your understanding of the course material.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Be able to summarize the manual’s primary and secondary fire protection objectives;
- Be able to identify which codes/standards govern key fire and life-safety design decisions;
- Be able to describe core passive features (construction type, separation, fire/smoke barriers, opening protection); and
- Be able to outline baseline active systems for VA facilities (water supply, sprinklers/standpipes, fire alarm functions).