October 22, 2026 – Arvada, CO
Fire Safety is part of daily hazard awareness and cannot be reduced to only monthly inspections. As part of our commitment to safety, Milender White (MW) meets company-wide once a quarter for safety workshops in each of its districts. The Rocky Mountain District’s 2026 Q4 safety meeting occurred at Globeville, a 250,000 SF mass timber project. The Globeville team presented Fire Safety, Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) Wall Erection, and Site Boundary Coordination.
Fire Safety at Globeville is critical because it is a wood frame structure composed of CLT. The developer of Globeville, Evergreen Real Estate Group, asked MW to implement NFPA 241 to greatly reduce fire risk. Brandon Rockwood, Larry Hardy and Leo Banuelos Rivera led the fire safety workshop.
The training began with a review of the types of fire extinguishers (FEs). There are five types of extinguishers: A, B, C, D & K. Most commercially available extinguishers are the ABC type for ordinary combustibles, flammable liquids and electrical equipment. Type D extinguishers treat fires caused by flammable metals like lithium-ion batteries. Battery powered tools are common on jobsites so Type D FEs are essential.
NFPA mandates that fire extinguishers (FE) occur every 150 feet and that occupants must only travel 75 feet in any direction. At Globeville the team staged extinguishers at their final locations during construction.
All attendees inspected extinguishers for readiness. We checked for a hydrotest tag within one calendar year. The FE pressure dial must be on green. A proper pin must be in place. Sometimes jobsite FEs have a wire in place of a pin and that is not allowable. A commonly overlooked inspection criteria is the hose. It is critical to check the hose for any debris or blockages.
To conclude the training, the team lit a fire pit and practiced extinguishing live flames. A superintendent told a story from a previous construction company, where a fire started from a carpenter’s stray cigarette butt. In the heat of the moment, he aimed the hose at the fire and squeezed the handle, only to realize nothing was coming out. It wasn’t until a coworker reminded him to remove the safety pin that he was able to operate the extinguisher.
Practicing for high-risk scenarios prepares everyone. This final exercise allowed everyone to practice the muscle memory of using an extinguisher. It is one thing to understand the PASS acronym; it is another to squeeze the handle in front of a live fire.
Thank you to the Globeville team for hosting the Q4 safety training.
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Milender White is a full-service general contractor dedicated to delivering outstanding results on every project, unsurpassed service to clients, and superb career opportunities – with a total commitment to safety, quality and integrity. MW is part of the Graham Group of Companies, headquartered in Calgary, AB. Together as One Graham, we provide our clients with a fully-integrated service offering that creates certainty and peace of mind throughout the entire project life cycle. Visit us at www.milenderwhite.com.
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