Ryan Fireprotection understands the particular needs that healthcare facilities face meeting the various standards and codes for fire protection and life safety. Many businesses know that they are required to meet the standards set forth by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) such as NFPA 25, 75, 10, and 101, as well as state and local codes as enforced by their authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) or fire marshal. But healthcare facility directors and managers also have to meet the standards of their healthcare accreditation organization.
There are different organizations providing accreditations, including DNV GL and Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), and Ryan Fireprotection is familiar with each. However, one of the oldest and largest of these organizations is the Joint Commission. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies almost 21,000 healthcare entities in the United States.
The Joint Commission has a standard for fire protection, EC.02.03.05. It outlines 21 Elements of Performance (EP) that are expected to be met for accreditation. According to the Joint Commission website, about 40 percent of the time while conducting a survey of a healthcare facility, they are writing a “finding” for failure to meet an element of performance. If a facility misses 3 EPs out of the 21, that facility is out of compliance, and the Joint Commission will be writing up a Leadership finding.
Ryan Fireprotection works with many healthcare and hospital facilities to ensure all of the needs are met and boxes are checked when the Joint Commission surveys (audits) a facility’s fire protection conformance. That’s what makes us different—we have the experience and knowledge particular to healthcare that sets us apart from the rest.
Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the facility manager to be in compliance, but Ryan Fireprotection offers a partner who understands the requirements, provides support with audit preparation, will work to provide a schedule to meet the inspection requirements, will conduct the required inspections and testing, and will provide supporting materials and tools such as documentation, worksheets, and checklists.
We also conduct an Environmental Care Bootcamp event at our facility for our customers, because we believe it is important to educate our clients and share our knowledge.
Ryan Fireprotection is the right choice for healthcare fire and life safety protection. We serve hospitals, medical office buildings (MOBs), medical laboratories, assisted and independent living facilities, and skilled nursing homes. Please complete our Contact us form to schedule a consultation with one of our healthcare facility experts.
