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Michael J. Slifka, PE
‹ Areas of Practice

High-Rise Construction and Large Scale Complexes

Fire Protection Engineering

Design Consulation

High Rise Fire safety

High-Rise Construction and Large Scale Complexes

Michael is an internationally recognized Licensed Professional Fire Protection Engineer and Fire Protection consultant. Send your design projects for review, consultation or in depth analysis of alternate design approaches that fits your vision and your concepts.

Assistant Bureau Chief/Fire Protection Engineer on fire prevention to the GSA Central Office, all GSA regional branches, and all GSA services. Also:

  • Provided expert analysis on high-rise building and fire safety systems.
  • Performed as fire safety design review engineer for the U.S. Postal Service.
  • Responsible for the fire safety of the U.S. White House, Capitol Hill and the U.S. Post Offices.
  • Supervised fire safety engineering design content of all federal buildings under construction, including the 10 Critical Supply Depots located throughout the US. Each depot consisted of at least 20 high-piled warehouses.
  • Provided engineering design review and guidance to the Central Office and regional GSA design and construction staffs, and to GSA lease acquisition and repair/improvement.
  • Managed a staff of six in-house engineers and oversaw a staff of 40 regional engineers.
  • Supervised emergency salvage and safety activities at the St. Louis, Missouri, Military Personnel Record Center after its severe fire loss (July 12-October 12, 1973).

Designed building and manufacturing process fire protection systems, equipment and related hardware. Other responsibilities and achievements included:

  • Performed fire safety analysis of ten Midwest post offices, including fire safety retrofit designs for each.
  • Designed and analyzed fire safety systems and related systems for high-rise buildings, government structures, institutional facilities, high piled rack storage warehouses and industrial facilities. Including detail probability analysis and cost/benefit studies of all design options).
  • Help develop the building code and fire code for the Dallas Fort Worth Airport, McCormick Place Exhibition Hall (the replacement for the building destroyed by fire) and the Indianapolis Convention Center.
  •  Fire Protection Engineering consultant on the design of:
    • McCormick Place Convention Center, Chciago (replacing the building destroyed by fire)
    • Water Tower Place Shopping Center, High Rise Ritz Hotel & Condos, Chicago
    • National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC
    • Three Federal High Rise Office builings (Portland, OR, Chicago, Atlanta).
    • US Air Force Guided Missle Assembly Plant, Newark, OH

Instrumental in fire protection engineering design and writing the design specifications for:

  • $80 million Coke Plant – Warren, Ohio
  • $100 million Cold Mill – Cleveland, Ohio
  • $110 million Hot Mill – Cleveland, Ohio

Michael J. Slifka, P.E.

Professional Qualifications
Illinois Institute of Technology – B.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering
Registered Professional Fire Protection Engineer (FP 479) – California
Fellow, American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE)
Diplomat, American Board of Forensic Examiners (ABFE)
Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE)
Professional Affiliations
Member for Life, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Member, (Current or Past) Various NFPA Committees on: Safety to Life, Health Care Occupancies, Building Construction, Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicles, and National 1-2 Family Electrical Code
Member, Manufactured Housing Institute – Previous Member of: MHI Consensus Committee for the Manufactured Housing Standard, MHI-IPIA Technical Advisory Committee, MHI-DAPIA Technical Advisory committee, MHI/HUD Technical Exchange Group, MHI-Technical Activities Committee.
Member, American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and various ASTM committees
Member, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and various ANSI committees
Member, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and various NIBS committees
Member, International Fire Code Institute
Illinois Institute of Technology – B.S. in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering
Registered Professional Fire Protection Engineer (FP 479) – California
Fellow, American College of Forensic Examiners (ACFE)
Diplomat, American Board of Forensic Examiners (ABFE)
Member, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE)

Professional Affiliations content

Publications
Slifka, Michael J. et al, “A Study of the Fire Problem in Residential High‐Rise Buildings”, Chicago: Rolf Jensen and Associates/Greater North Michigan Avenue Association (1972).
Slifka, Michael J. (author and assistant technical editor, First Edition; author, selected chapters, Second and Third Editions), Life Safety Code Handbook, National Fire Protection Association (1977, 1980, 1983).
Slifka, Michael J. “For Architects and Builders” column, Fire Journal (magazine of the NFPA) (1974‐1975).
Slifka, Michael J. et al., Building Inspectors Handbook, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) (author or coauthor of six technical chapters) (1975).
Slifka, Michael J. et al., Life Safety Code Handbook – 1st Edition, NFPA (author or co‐author of six technical chapters) (1977).
Slifka, Michael J. et al., Fire Protection Handbook – 14th Edition, NFPA (author or co‐author of four technical chapters) (1975).
Slifka, Michael J. et al., Fire Protection Handbook – 15th Edition , NFPA (author or co‐author of four technical chapters) (1978).
Slifka, Michael J. et al., Fire Protection Handbook – 16th Edition, NFPA (author or co‐author of two technical chapters) (1981).
Slifka, Michael J., “Building/Fire Code for Health Care Design” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1985).
Slifka, Michael J., “Fire Protection Engineering Considerations for Engineered Wood Products,” PFS Research Foundation (1999).

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Contact Michael Slifka

Michael J. Slifka, PE
3221 Conservancy Lane
Middleton, WI 53562
t.
(608) 827-5241
m.
(608) 692-3096
f.
(608) 827-5243

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Michael J. Slifka, PE

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