NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 34
NFPA.ORG/COVID
Listen to an NFPA Journal Podcast
on how health care facilities in the
US prepared for the COVID-19
patient surge.
Read the April 2020 NFPA fact sheet,
"Maintaining Safe Health Care
Facilities in Extraordinary Times."
Read the April 2020 NFPA white paper,
"Temporary Compliance Options for
Code Modifications, Alternate Care Sites,
and Facilities Related to Health Care."
H E A LT H C A R E FAC I L I T I E S
COMPLIANCE
ON HOLD
AS HEALTH CARE FACILITIES SCRAMBLED TO EXPAND
PATIENT CAPACITY AMID THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC, FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY CODE COMPLIANCE
TOOK A BACK SEAT. SHOULD THAT WORRY US?
BY ANGELO VERZONI
O
N MARCH 22, TEXAS GOVERNOR Greg Abbott
issued an executive order that temporarily suspended a
number of state building code provisions, mostly related to maximum hospital room occupant load. The order was part of an
effort to give jurisdictions throughout the state the opportunity
to more easily expand their patient capacity as Texas-and the
United States as a whole-braced for a surge in patients sickened
by COVID-19, a novel coronavirus that became a global pandemic
earlier that month.
Throughout March and April, similar decisions were being made
across the US as communities pursued modifying existing health
care facilities, or rapidly building temporary ones, to meet patient
demand. As of April 10, the US Army Corps of Engineers had
received over 1,000 requests from cities seeking guidance on establishing temporary hospitals, according to a recent NPR report. And
in a March survey of more than 1,000 US code officials, conducted
by the International Code Council, more than a quarter of respondents reported receiving building permit requests for temporary
structures, many to serve as health care facilities.
On the federal level, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) announced a pause in survey inspections for violations outside of infection control and patient abuse measures.
That announcement came on March 13, the same day the World
Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
34 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 0
feature COVID_05.20 V4 FINAL DCS.indd 34
5/4/20 4:28 PM
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2020
Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 5
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 6
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 7
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 8
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 9
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 10
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 11
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 12
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 13
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 14
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 15
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 16
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 17
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 18
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 19
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 20
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 21
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 22
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 23
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 24
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 25
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 26
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 27
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 28
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 29
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 30
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 31
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 32
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 33
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 34
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 35
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 36
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 37
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 38
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 39
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 40
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 41
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 42
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 43
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 44
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 45
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 46
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 47
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 48
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 49
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 50
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 51
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 52
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 53
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 54
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 55
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 56
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 57
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 58
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 59
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 60
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 61
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 62
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 63
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 64
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 65
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 66
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 67
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 68
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 69
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 70
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 71
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 72
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 73
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 74
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 75
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 76
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 77
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 78
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 79
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 80
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 81
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 82
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 83
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 84
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 85
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 86
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 87
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 88
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 89
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 90
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 91
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 92
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 93
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 94
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 95
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 96
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 97
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 98
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 99
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 100
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 101
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 102
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 103
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - 104
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2020 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2025spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201610_sprinkler
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nfpa/journal_20120304
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com