Our Mission

Our Services

• Design Reviews - The DFM conducts design reviews to verify all NIH facility design projects meet applicable fire code requirements through cooperative interaction with the Office of Research Facilities(ORF) and/or IC Project Officers.
• Construction Submittal Reviews - The DFM conducts construction submittal reviews to verify all new fire safety components for NIH facilities are listed for the proposed use and the entire system is properly designed through cooperative interaction with the ORF and/or IC Project Officers.
• Construction Inspections - The DFM conducts construction inspections to verify all new NIH facilities are constructed in accordance with applicable fire codes through cooperative interaction with the ORF and/or IC Project Officers.
• Pre-Occupancy Inspections - The DFM conducts pre-occupancy inspections to verify all new NIH facilities comply with the Life Safety Code prior to occupancy by the IC through cooperative interaction with the ORF and/or IC Project Officers.
• Fire Safety Policies and Guidelines - The DFM is responsible for developing and updating all policies and guidelines for the NIH that directly pertain to fire safety.
• Fire Safety Training - The DFM can provide fire safety training for any NIH IC as per their request.
• Fire Safety Surveys of Existing NIH Facilities - The DFM conducts annual fire safety surveys of all existing NIH facilities located at the Bethesda, Maryland, NIHAC-Poolesville, Maryland, Rocky Mountain Laboratory-Hamilton, Montana, and NIEHS, Raleigh, North Carolina campuses. Surveys are conducted to verify the facilities are operated and maintained in accordance with applicable fire code requirements and to mitigate risk by identifying and documenting fire safety hazards and deficiencies in need of corrective action.
• Fire Safety Consultative Services -The DFM will investigate and work to resolve any NIH employee concern relative to fire protection or life safety. Simply call the DFM to request this service or use the link above entitled "Report a Fire Safety Issue or Concern".
• Technical Fire Investigations - The DFM conducts technical fire investigations for any suspicious and/or significant fire to determine the origin and cause of the fire and to verify the fire protection features in the vicinity of the fire incident performed properly.
• Hazardous Work Permits - The DFM issues hazardous work permits for personnel performing "hot work" such as welding, grinding, soldering, metal cutting, etc. on the NIH Bethesda Campus. The permit system provides for proper fire safety precautions to be in place before the hot work proceeds.
• Public Assembly Event Crowd Control/Monitoring - The DFM conducts crowd control/monitoring for all widely attended public assembly events held on the NIH Bethesda Campus to verify safe occupant load limitations are not exceeded. In addition, the DFM conducts preoccupancy walkthroughs for all outdoor public assembly events utilizing tent structures to verify compliance with the Life Safety Code.
• Recommended Fire Safety Links