Baltimore City’s new Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation (FLSDE) Process

What to know about Baltimore City’s new Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation (FLSDE) Process

By Steven Whitman, PE | Senior Discipline Manager, Fire Protection Engineering

The City of Baltimore, Maryland, recently adopted the 2024 edition of the city’s Building, Fire, and Related Codes. New to this edition, which adopts and amends the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), is a requirement for specific project types to include a Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation (FLSDE) with the permit application.

What is a Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation?

A Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation (FLSDE) is a detailed review of a building’s design, prepared by a qualified third-party consultant to ensure compliance with applicable fire protection and life safety code requirements. An FLSDE evaluates various aspects, including:

• Applicable Building, Fire, and Related Codes and Standards (including state and local amendments)
• Occupancy Classification and Use Designation
• Building construction type and fire-resistance rating requirements (i.e., passive fire protection)
• Occupant load calculations, Egress Capacity, and other means of egress features
• Required fire protection systems including automatic sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire detection and alarm systems, smoke management systems, and emergency responder radio coverage systems
• Fire apparatus access roads, fire hydrant, and fire department connection locations
• Emergency lighting, exit signage, and emergency power systems

What building types are impacted?

Per Section 104.8.2.4 of the Baltimore City Fire Code, the following building types and situations require a Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation (FLSDE):

• High-rise buildings: New construction; Change of use in an existing high-rise building; Level III alterations to an existing high-rise building.
• Assembly buildings (Use Group A): New buildings with an occupant load of 1,000 or more; Additions or changes of occupancy to existing buildings with an occupant load of 1,000 or more.
• High-hazard buildings (Use Group H).
• Institutional buildings (Use Groups I-2 and I-3).
• Residential buildings (Use Groups R-1 and R-2): All new construction.
• Any use group when deemed necessary by the Fire Code Official due to complexity or scope of the design.
• Any submission for any use and occupancy group determined by the Fire Code Official to be deficient in the required information for adequate review.
• Any automatic fire suppression, fire detection, fire alarm, or smoke management system shop drawings as may be required by the Fire Code Official.

Who is qualified to prepare a Fire and Life Safety Design Evaluation?

Per Section 104.8.2.2 of the Baltimore City Fire Code, a third-party consultant preparing an FLSDE shall meet one of the following requirements:

• A Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection Engineering from a university accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), certification in fire protection plan review from a major model code organization, and two years of professional experience in the review and evaluation of buildings and fire protection systems for code compliance, or,
• Certification in fire protection plan review from a major model code organization and five years of professional experience in the review and evaluation of buildings and fire protection systems for code compliance.

Coffman’s Maryland-based, D.C. Metro fire protection engineering team meets all of the city’s required qualifications, including certification in Fire Plans Review from the International Code Council (ICC).

Why the changes?

The new requirement aims to enhance safety measures and ensure compliance with applicable codes and standards. By requiring an FLSDE, the city can better evaluate fire and life safety aspects of projects during the permit application process, which helps identify potential risks early, and ensures that buildings are designed to meet modern safety requirements.

What are the next steps?

If you have a building in question, our Maryland-based, D.C. Metro team is fully equipped to support all your fire protection engineering and code review needs for projects located within the City of Baltimore. With decades of experience, we specialize in performing fire protection/life safety code compliance assessments, including similar exercises required by other local jurisdictions like the Fire Protection Engineering Design Evaluation (FPEDE). Our advanced expertise in code compliance and plan reviews can give you confidence in an accurate and efficient evaluation of fire and life safety designs.

Every project is unique, and we look forward to discussing yours. Contact Steven Whitman, PE, and Michael Love, PE, or Contact Us through our inquiry form.