Introduction
Shamekia Holliday, CHFM, CLSS, was first introduced to Specified Technologies via Grainger over five years ago, needing Firestop Training on a yearly basis for her employees. Throughout the course of five years, Specified Technologies local field team members have maintained an annual presence at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, training employees and vendors on all things firestopping through STI's Firestop Instructional Training (FIT) class. This has resulted in educated staff applying the right products for the right systems, resulting in compliance, better aesthetics and higher patient satisfaction.
Annual Training
In the past, with other organizations, they would come for a thirty minute training and sell some product but then it was silent until the next year when it was time for another training. If they were able to come sooner, there was still a six month wait time, which is a problem when dealing with the life safety environment of care. With STI's local team of experts, Shamekia and her team are able to get STI on site more frequently to assist when needed versus months down the line.
"When we really need someone's help, STI's team is there."
Finding the Right System
One resource that has become a regular use is System Search and Submittal Builder available as a web version and in the app store for iPhones and other devices.
"One of the most beneficial offerings from STI is the System Search. The number of systems that are available and how easy it is to put in the information about my building and penetrations and get back which systems are appropriate and what products can be used has been a huge help."
Everyone in her facility is required to have this app on their iPad, empowering all team members to continue their firestopping learning journey.
One challenge Shamekia faced, a common but non-compliant practice in many facilities, was the presence of scab patches. After completing training, and gaining a better understanding of firestopping and some of the resources available to her from STI, Shamekia and team were able to apply that knowledge and repair the scab patching in the boiler room with the SpecSeal Composite Sheet, a simple solution for large openings. Finding the system to use with the Composite Sheet made repairing the scab patching much simpler than they originally expected.
Conclusion
For the last five years, Specified Technologies has provided Shamekia Holliday and team annual Firestop Training. This training has helped arm her team with the knowledge, products and systems to repair scab patches within the facility. With annual training, hands-on support from STI's local experts, and powerful digital tools like System Search and Submittal Builder, Shamekia and team are now equipped to handle firestopping challenges quickly while maintaining compliance.
