UA News

Campus construction plans need Arizpe's approval before work can begin.

Name
Jose Arizpe

Position
Health and Safety Officer/Building Safety, Risk Management & Safety

Number of years at the UA
9

Favorite part about working at the UA
"Interacting with really bright and intelligent people."

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Do you know where the fire alarm and sprinklers are in your office? Jose Arizpe probably does. As health and safety officer for building safety in the University of Arizona's department of Risk Management & Safety, he is charged with ensuring all new construction and renovation projects on campus comply with fire codes, evaluating everything from the number of exits in a room to the placement of overhead sprinklers.

When he's not reviewing drawings of campus construction projects, Arizpe, who acts as the UA's liaison with the Arizona state fire marshal and Tucson Fire Department, also coordinates campus evacuation and fire drills, conducts fire extinguisher trainings for the campus community and inspects fireworks and pyrotechnic productions on campus for things like sporting events and theatrical productions.

He recently took time to talk with Lo Que Pasa in his office, which is filled with shelves carrying more than 20 years of fire code books, about his behind-the-scenes work helping to keep campus buildings safe.

What are your main responsibilities in this position?
There's several facets to this job. One of the bigger parts of the job is reviewing plans for new construction and renovations. ... I'm also the University's liaison with the Arizona state fire marshal's office and the city of Tucson fire marshal's office. We're in an awkward position because we have two regulatory agencies over similar things, depending on what kind of project it is. Sometimes the plans have to go to the Arizona state fire marshal, and they use the 2003 International Fire Code, and sometimes plans have to go to the city of Tucson fire marshal, and they use the 2006 International Fire Code, so I have to have all these code books to keep up.

What are you looking for in your reviews of projects?
I'm looking for the exiting schemes for the buildings, fire alarm system design and fire sprinkler system design. It's usually designed by consultants, and we just verify that the designs comply to fire codes and to UA standards. ... I get involved usually right after conceptual design.

What are some of the general fire safety rules for UA buildings?
If a room has more than 50 people, you need two exits, depending on the type of building. We're building a new hazardous waste facility, and that's considered a hazardous occupancy, so that needs two exits when you have more than five people. Most classrooms are less than 50 people so most of them just have one (exit). When you have 50 people or more, the exits also have to have exit signs, and the doors have to swing in the direction of egress.

How often do campus buildings undergo fire safety inspections?
There is a schedule and we came up with this with the state fire marshal, and we prioritized our buildings on the level of hazards or the vulnerability of the occupants. Dormitories are at the top because people are more vulnerable when they're sleeping, so they get inspected annually. The state fire marshal does those inspections and then they write up a report if there's anything (wrong). ... Laboratories are also done annually.

What's the hardest part of your job?
Keeping up with the workload. Keeping up with all the renovations and keeping up with the codes as well, because the codes continue to change.

If a code changes, do the buildings have to be upgraded?
No, they will stay under the current code, but if we do any renovations to the building, the renovations have to comply with the new code, so we have to maintain the old codes too. ... That's why it's important to keep all the old codes. Another thing I do is I'm on the Arizona chapter of the International Code Council, and we meet monthly. It's a code development committee and this committee looks at all the codes and makes recommendations to the municipalities in Arizona as to which codes should be adopted.

How did you get into this line of work?
I used to design industrial fire alarm and security systems, primarily for semiconductor companies.

What's the most fun part of your job?
One of the fun parts of this job is that I get to travel all over, not just on campus, but to all the (off-campus) sites that the U of A has, like the telescopes, the farms,  all these labs. ... It's just amazing the level of expertise and intelligence that the University has. It's just fun to see what people are doing.