21st Century Security and CPTED, 2nd Edition

301

19

Codes and Standards of Care

for Infrastructure Protection

Or, Complaining Is Pretending

You Have a Choice!

In my experience, the general architectural community has never been properly educated or trained

in the ways of designing for security, defensible space design, or crime prevention through environ-

mental design (CPTED) practices. There are only a handful of schools of architecture in the United

States that have CPTED or security as part of their curriculum (Florida Atlantic University School

of Architecture, University of Florida, Virginia Tech, Rutgers University). There are no require-

ments for Defensible Space and CPTED awareness or knowledge to be part of the architectural

licensing or testing process. Yet, every architect must learn and know re safety regulations, evacu-

ation paths of travel, and how to design an accessible bathroom stall.

The standardization of re prevention, a very close cousin of crime prevention, is based on the

belief (theory), practice, and principal that the people’s safety is the highest law. The fundamental

goals of the building and life safety codes is the preservation of human life and property from re

and other life safety hazards related to buildings and building construction through enlightened and

proper design; construction and inspection of all buildings and structures; uniformity in building

regulations; the development of better methods of construction based on rational analysis; and the

establishment of a sound basis for the growth of a dened geographic area.

The National Fire Protection Association’s Life Safety Code had its origin by an assigned

committee in 1913. The committee devoted its attention to the study of notable res involving loss

of life and in analyzing the causes of this loss of life. This work led to the preparation of standards

for the construction and arrangement of exit facilities for factories, schools, and other building

types. In 1921, the Committee was enlarged to include representation of certain interested groups

not previously participating, and work was started on further development and integration of life

safety features in all classes of occupancy. The National Fire Protection Association published the

rst edition of the Building Exits Code in 1927. However, the Code was not in suitable form for

CONTENTS

Why Is Fire Prevention That Different from Crime Prevention? ...................................................302

Different Federal Standards: Similarities and Differences ............................................................306

Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................309

Security and Accessibility: National Codes ...................................................................................309

ADA and Security .....................................................................................................................309

Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 321

Appendix A: CPTED Codes and Standards ................................................................................... 322

Appendix B: Facilities Security Standards for the Public Buildings, General Services

Administration, November 2000 .................................................................................................... 357

References ...................................................................................................................................... 370