2024 Safety Assessment Program: WASAFE Building Safety Evaluator

Intended for Washington state architects, architects-in-training, engineers, and/or certified building inspectors interested in better understanding seismic risks in our region, as well as having the opportunity to assist in recovery efforts.

The AIA Seattle Adaptation & Resilience Committee is hosting an online, eight-hour training (split into two half-days) on post-disaster building safety evaluation procedures and WAsafe, Washington State’s program for post-disaster volunteer responders. This program is a must for engineers, architects & building officials committed to using their unique professional skills to assist following a catastrophic event. Participants will learn how to properly assess buildings for safe occupancy following a major earthquake, flood, or wind event. The training incorporates material from ATC-20 (Post-Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings), ATC-45 (Safety Evaluation of Buildings after Windstorms and Floods), and the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) Safety Assessment Program (SAP). The SAP and ATC evaluation procedures are internationally recognized standards for performing post-disaster building safety assessments.

Join us virtually Tues + Wed March 5th-6th, 9am to 1pm for AIA Seattle’s 2024 Safety Assessment Program: WAsafe Building Safety Evaluator Training.

Cost

Includes continuing education credit (8 AIA LU HSW). All sessions and speakers are subject to change.

$99 AIA Members
$99 SEAW, WABO, WSSHE, ASCE + AISC Members, and Government Partners
$175 Non-Members

Materials

Evaluator Field Manuals | ATC 45 | ATC 20 | Participants are responsible for purchasing these texts from ATC. They are not included in the course cost.

Certification Process

Students who take the class will be eligible to join WAsafe, Washington State’s program for volunteer Building Safety Evaluators (BSEs). They can enroll in WAsafe’s online database, which will be used to contact and dispatch WAsafe volunteer BSEs to assist local governments with post-disaster building safety assessments. The WAsafe database includes registered engineers, architects, and building officials and inspectors, as well as EITs and other professionals who may be working towards licensure or certification. The professional organizations that comprise WAsafe – currently AIA WA Council, SEAW, WABO, and ASCE Seattle Section – are working in concert with the Washington State Emergency Management Division to finalize operating procedures for call-up and deployment of our volunteers

This is a 2-day program. Participants must attend the full program in order to receive continuing education credit or a certificate of completion. All registration and credit questions can be directed to Senior Coordinator of Member Engagement, Anthony Collins.

Reduced rate options are available (priority given to AIA members). Please submit the Continuing Education Scholarship / Reduced Rate Request Form via email by Friday, March 1st, 5:00pm PST.

Schedule

Tuesday, March 5, 9am-1pm
Wednesday, March 6, 9am-1pm

Click here to view the full schedule.

Speakers

Behrooz (Ben) Emam is a registered architect, a civil engineer, and a certified facility manager, with over thirty years of experience in architectural and structural engineering, emergency preparedness, and facilities management. He has Masters Degrees in Architecture and Civil Engineering from University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Ben is the principal at Emam Consulting and Educational Services (ECES) and was previously the Manager of Civil & Structural Group at AWS. Before rejoining Amazon for a second time, Ben was the Assistant Vice President and Senior Engineering Manager – Construction Services with Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Ben was a 25-year adjunct faculty member of the University of Washington, Department of Construction Management. He regularly taught classes in Construction and Facilities Management and conducted seminars on seismic preparedness and disaster planning. Ben was also building inspection volunteer after the San Francisco (Loma Prieta), Los Angeles (Northridge), and Seattle (Nisqually) earthquakes, and the recipient of the Seattle AIA 2001 – Community Service Award.

Rachel Minnery, FAIA is an architect and currently Risk and Resilience Manager at Amazon Web Services. She was formerly the Senior Director of Resilience, Adaptation and Disaster Assistance at The American Institute of Architects (AIA) developing policy, design guides, and education for the organization’s 95,000 members and the building industry. Rachel’s previous experience includes design and management in the non-profit and private sectors focusing on environmentally and socially responsible design. She is the co-founder of Architects Without Borders Seattle and has led groups of building safety volunteers to disaster-stricken places.

Learning Objectives

Recognize the important role architects and associated building professionals play in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Accurately conduct a post-disaster rapid building assessment and complete appropriate damage assessment forms.
Demonstrate understanding of the Applied Technology Council’s ATC 20 Post-earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings and ATC 45 Safety Evaluation of Buildings after Windstorms and Floods damage assessment procedures.
Qualified engineers, architects, and building inspectors who complete the WAsafe class can join the WAsafe registery, which will be used to communicate with and dispatch volunteers following a disaster.

Special Thanks to the Adptation & Resilience Committee

Join the Adaptation & Resilience Committee!

The Adaptation & Resilience Committee informs and designs professional action in preparing for and responding to stressors and shocks that communities may face. All efforts have the ultimate goal of creating greater resilience in our communities through building a network of architects to help before and after a disaster.

A&R Co-Chairs:
Katie Stege AIA
Mike Mariano AIA

Check out AIA Seattle’s other Member Committees to participate in programs, events, and forward-thinking conversations.