Session 5

Swinging Fire Door Compliance Challenges and Enforcement Strategies

This session will explore the distinctions between acceptance, annual, and maintenance inspections, clarifying when each is required under the referenced standards and why requesting copies of these reports is essential for both new construction and existing buildings. Attendees will gain insight into the allowances for field modifications to fire-rated doors and frames, the most common areas of noncompliance associated with opening protectives, and recent innovations that aim to help mitigate these challenges. Whether you're involved in design, construction, regulatory inspection, or ongoing maintenance, this discussion will provide practical takeaways to help ensure fire door assemblies meet code and perform as intended.

Hal Kelton    

National Guard Products 

Hal Kelton brings more than 35 years of commercial door, hardware, and building product expertise to his work at National Guard Products (NGP), where he manages key product lines including GapGuard for fire door compliance. He has performed fire door inspections across North America, provided expert witness services, and consulted on projects spanning healthcare, education, multi-family housing, and commercial facilities.

Hal holds numerous industry credentials and is an active member of ICC and NFPA. A long-time educator and code-compliance advocate, he has taught fire door inspection programs through DOIT and DHI, contributed to major industry publications, and frequently lectures at industry events. In 2022, he was appointed a Principal Technical Committee Member for NFPA 80 and NFPA 105.