Topic
Time and the Tall Building: Time Saving Technologies that Preserve Lives and Enhance Safety in Recently Constructed Tall Buildings
LA SFPE Presentation Color.pdf
Schedule
11:30AM: Networking
12:00PM: Introductions and lunch
12:30PM: Presentation
1:30PM: Conclusion of Meeting
Speaker
Nathan B. Wittasek, P.E. (CA, NV), CFEI, LEED AP, CASp
Principal
SIMPSON GUMPERTZ & HEGER
Summary
This presentation focuses on recently constructed tall buildings in the United States, with a focus on projects under construction including the Wilshire Grand and Metropolis, for which Nate was the lead fire protection engineer. The relationship between time and tall building fire safety will be explored in the context of these recent projects. Specific approaches related to fire suppression, fire department response, fire detection & alarm, fire suppression, occupant movement, tenability and redundancy are explored from a fire and life safety frame of reference.
Bio
Nate has twenty years of experience working in the fire protection and regulatory arenas. Nate brings a practical approach to the fire protection engineering field that reflects his diverse training and experiences in academia, codes consulting for both new and existing facilities, performance-based fire protection engineering, sustainable design, and the fire service. His experience includes failure analysis, fire engineering, systems design and building codes consulting for commercial and infrastructure projects in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Nate has specialized in fire life safety systems and approaches that are used in assembly venues, tall buildings, cultural heritage facilities, and historic structures.
Nate is a registered fire protection engineer in California and Nevada. He sits on the Tall Building Fire Safety Network, the fire safety committee for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and is a regular instructor for the American Institute of Architects, where he focuses on regulatory issues, building, fire and zoning codes as well as accessibility.
