The annual inspection and testing of fire rated door assemblies became a requirement for all healthcare occupancies, including skilled nursing facilities, when CMS adopted the 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code®.  The Code specifies that the testing and inspection should be performed by individuals who can demonstrate “knowledge and understanding” of the doors subject to the testing.

This training module is intended to educate maintenance, physical plant, and/or facility services personnel on the various components of a fire door assembly and how to develop, conduct, and document a comprehensive fire door inspection and testing program.  With the successful completion of a quiz at the conclusion of the module, a certificate of completion will be provided.  This certificate should be available during survey and will serve as evidence of competency. 

Inspection, testing and maintenance of building life safety components is a critical part of maintaining life safety compliance and overall survey readiness.  

These materials have been updated as of 08/07/25

Registration is free to AHCA/NCAL members.

Instructions to Register: 

• To avoid technical problems, use Google Chrome. 
• Members will need to log in using their existing email and password first. 
• Once you are logged in to the website, you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top of the page. 
• If you have forgotten your password, click here. 
• If you are new to the site, you can create an account here. Answer all fields on the create an account page- especially locating your company name. You can search by name or zip code. After creating an account, you will be able to register for the training. 

Instructions to begin, after registering:

• To begin the training, click on the Contents tab.
• Participants must watch the video and pass the quiz in order to open their certificate of completion. 

Email educate@ahca.org if you need assistance.

© 2025 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All Life Safety: Fire and Smoke Door Inspection Training materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

Join Jensen Hughes and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) for an in-depth walkthrough of NCAL’s new Assisted Living Emergency Preparedness and Procedure Manual. This essential resource is designed to help assisted living providers meet regulatory expectations, strengthen emergency readiness, and protect residents and staff during crises. This session will provide an overview of the manual’s key components, walk through practical strategies for customizing content to your facility, and show how to transform the manual into a fully functional Emergency Preparedness Program. Through real-world examples and expert insights, attendees will gain the tools and confidence to apply the manual effectively and build a program tailored to their risks, residents, and operational realities.

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the structure, content, and purpose of NCAL’s Assisted Living Emergency Preparedness and Procedure Manual.
2. Identify which elements of the manual require customization to reflect their specific facility risks, resources, and operational context.
3. Apply practical tips and best practices for adapting the manual into a living, site-specific Emergency Preparedness Program.
4. Develop a clear action plan to engage stakeholders, integrate emergency preparedness into daily operations, and ensure ongoing program sustainability and compliance.

Registration is free to AHCA/NCAL members and $65 non-members. 

If you are not able to attend live, the recording will be provided to you. 

Instructions to Register: 

• To avoid technical problems, use Google Chrome. 
• Members will need to log in using their existing email and password first. 
• Once you are logged in to the website, you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top of the page. 
• If you have forgotten your password, click here. 
• If you are new to the site, you can create an account here. Answer all fields on the create an account page- especially locating your company name. You can search by name or zip code. After creating an account, you will be able to register for the webinar. 

Instructions to begin, after registering:

• To open the on-demand webinar, click on the Contents tab. Click "view archived recording"
• A copy of the presentation slides and handouts are also available to download here.

Email educate@ahca.org if you need assistance.

STATEMENT OF AHCA/NCAL’S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) POLICY

To foster an environment of candor and the open exchange of ideas, AHCA/NCAL prohibits the recording of meetings by attendees. This includes but is not limited to any use of artificial-intelligence tools or assistants that record and transcribe information. AHCA/NCAL has the right to immediately remove AI tools or assistants present on calls and placed by attendees.

© 2025 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. Materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness are two critical regulatory compliance components that are consistently areas of survey focus.  This webinar reviews some of the most commonly cited life safety deficiencies (K-tags) and emergency preparedness deficiencies (E-tags) in nursing homes.  The program digs into specific compliance issues and outlines best practices and mitigation methods to keep you in compliance and avoid survey findings.

Cost: 

Free to AHCA/NCAL Members 

$65 to Non-members

Follow the Instructions Below to Register: 

• To avoid technical problems, use Google Chrome. 
• Members will need to log in using their existing email and password first. 
• Once you are logged in to the website you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top of the page. 
• If you have forgotten your password click here. 
• If you are new to the site, you can create an account here. Answer all fields on the create an account page- especially locating your company name. You can search by name or zip code. After creating an account, you will be able to register for the webinar. 

Need further assistance? Email educate@ahca.org

© 2022 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All the Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness Compliance Webinar materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

Emergency Preparedness Plan Price: $395.00 SKU: 8587
This workshop is based on the newly released Emergency Preparedness Program Best Practice Guidebook for Long Term Care, a comprehensive tool designed to assist Long Term Care organizations in developing and maintaining an effective Emergency Preparedness Program. The guidebook serves as a best practice template and can be ordered for immediate download at ahcapublications.org.

Questions? Please email publications@hca.org

In an era where the weather cycles are more extreme, cyber-attacks are on the rise, and an Office of the Inspector General report is critical of nursing home emergency preparedness, the importance of maintaining a comprehensive, effective and compliant Emergency Preparedness Program (EPP)  is greater than ever.  This approximately one hour webinar provides an overview of the critical components of a comprehensive EPP, outlines various updated requirements, explores new high profile risks, and reviews best practices learned from real events.  The program also introduces and discusses AHCA’s newly updated Emergency Preparedness Plan Best Practice Guide and Template.  

Cost: 

Free to AHCA/NCAL Members 

$65 to Non-members

Follow the Instructions Below to Register: 

• To avoid technical problems, use Google Chrome. 
• Members will need to log in using their existing email and password first. 
• Once you are logged in to the website you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top of the page. 
• If you have forgotten your password click here. 
• If you are new to the site, you can create an account here. Answer all fields on the create an account page- especially locating your company name. You can search by name or zip code. After creating an account, you will be able to register for the webinar. 

Need further assistance? Email educate@ahca.org

© 2022 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All Developing and Maintaining a Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness Program materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

This course is free and was designed to meet the critical staff shortages occurring as a result of COVID-19. You will need to register and create an account using your name and e-mail. Once you have created your account, you may complete the course on your own time, stopping as needed, and then rejoining the class wherever you left off. 

Completion of this training is intended to prepare you to develop, manage and maintain a surge plan. 

Key Takeaways 

• Types of Surge (Begins at 9-minute mark) 
• Components of a Surge Plan (Begins at ~10:48 minute mark) 
  • Space – Structure  
  • Staff – Identifying staff requirements 
  • Stuff – Equipment and Supplies Needed 
  • Systems – Policies and Procedures to keep residents and staff safe 
  • Safety – Providing a safe environment for residents, staff and visitors 
• How to Develop your Surge Plan (Begins at ~16:55 minute mark)  
  • Understand the lifecycle of a surge event 
  • Include Infectious Disease Expert when developing plans, team effort to develop 

Presented by RPA, a Jensen Hughes Company

Main Office, 500 CrossKeys Office Park

Fairport, NY 14450

© 2022 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All How to Prepare your Facility for Surge materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) require participating skilled nursing facilities to comply with the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association 101-2012 Edition, commonly referred to as the Life Safety Code (LSC) as well as the NFPA 99 – 2012 edition known as the Health Care Facilities Code.  These codes are a comprehensive set of requirements, which provide nursing home residents a high level of safety and security due to the nature of illness, impairment and the inability to self-evacuate in an emergency.

There are specific occupancy chapters of the LSC which apply to your center.  Facilities certified originally before July 5, 2016 are considered existing and Chapter 19 applies.  Facilities that have been certified after July 5, 2016 are addressed as new facilities and then Chapter 18 applies.  The Life Safety and Health Care Facilities Codes themselves are not all inclusive and often reference other editions of NFPA codes.

A number of issues have arisen based on the requirements of the NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code.  NFPA 99 establishes criteria for systems in nursing facilities such as gas and vacuum, electrical, etc. The requirements, however, generally are applied only to new construction and new equipment. Several chapters begin with specifying which criteria are applicable to existing facilities. Generally, existing facility systems are permitted to remain, even if they are not in strict compliance with the code, unless the authority having jurisdiction determines that their continued use constitutes a distinct hazard to life. If facilities are consider altering, modernizing or replacing equipment, the ‘new’ system or individual component are required to meet the installation and equipment requirements stated in NFPA 99.

The tips are for individual deficiencies which have been frequently cited across the U.S.  The tips provided are intended for reference only. If you have further questions, refer to the applicable NFPA Code manuals and/or please contact regulatory@ahca.org. 

© 2022 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All Life Safety Tips materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.

Life Safety Code section 7.2.1.15.2 requires all fire and smoke doors to be inspected and tested annually. This helpful checklist serves as a vital tool to perform a annual inspection.

© 2022 American Health Care Association. All rights reserved. 

All Life Safety:Fire Smoke Door Inspection Form materials subject to this copyright may be photocopied or distributed for the purpose of nonprofit or educational advancement. The use, photocopying, and distribution for commercial purposes of any of these materials is expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of American Health Care Association.