PBS NCR Did Not Fully Comply with Fire Protection Requirements for the U.S. Tax Court Building

Why We Performed This Audit

We performed this audit because GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) plays a significant role in providing a safe, healthy, and secure environment for building occupants at more than 8,500 federally owned and leased assets nationwide. Effective management of PBS’s facilities is critical because deficiencies could pose fire, safety, and health risks to building occupants and the public. Our audit objective was to assess whether PBS’s National Capital Region (NCR) complied with applicable laws, regulations, and PBS policies governing fire protection at the U.S. Tax Court Building in Washington, D.C. 

What We Found

PBS NCR did not fully comply with fire protection requirements for the U.S. Tax Court Building. We found that some fire doors in the building did not comply with fire protection standards because they do not close and latch properly to contain smoke and fire. We also found that PBS NCR did not consistently comply with fire protection requirements to conduct and document fire drills and did not implement a building-specific fire evacuation plan.

These deficiencies were caused by ineffective oversight by PBS NCR and the contracting officer’s representative. Without corrective actions and proper monitoring, these deficiencies place building occupants and visitors at risk of fire hazards.

What We Recommend

We recommend that the PBS Commissioner:

1. Strengthen oversight to ensure full compliance with fire protection requirements by:
   1. Establishing and implementing procedures and controls to verify compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and PBS policies, including consistent use of the National Computerized Maintenance Management System for planning, tracking, and documentation.
   2. Ensuring all fire doors are promptly inspected, repaired, or replaced to maintain proper functionality and compliance with applicable safety standards and fire codes.
   3. Conducting and documenting fire drills at sufficient frequency to meet NFPA Standard 101, Life Safety Code; Federal Management Regulation Part 102-74, Facility Management; and PBS requirements. Ensure full occupant participation and accurate recording of results.  
   4. Finalizing and implementing an approved evacuation plan that meets NFPA Standard 101 requirements.
2. Provide training to PBS building management at the U.S. Tax Court Building and the contracting officer’s representatives to ensure the building’s operations and maintenance contractor adheres to contract provisions related to the building’s fire protection requirements.

The Acting PBS Commissioner agreed with the report recommendations. GSA’s written comments are included in their entirety in Appendix B.