Seismic compliance unit tells hospitals to file high-level plans, shows milestone templates and deadlines

Seismic Compliance Unit presenters at the Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) agency outlined how general acute care hospitals should prepare and submit seismic compliance plans and building-level milestones during a webinar, emphasizing that plans are required for all hospitals and are due by the end of this year. "When people see the word 'plan,' they think about drawings. So this is really not about the drawing or calculations or evaluation," said Ollie, a presenter with the Seismic Compliance Unit, describing the required submission as a high-level outline for how each building will reach seismic compliance.

The guidance matters because the plans feed a public online record, set construction and permit deadlines for retrofit work, and are the basis for any requests for extended compliance time. The unit said it will post submitted plans and its remarks on each facility's page on the HCAI website so reviewers, facilities and the public can see status, comments and whether plans are approved, remarked or denied.

Key application structure and tools: presenters said the online application has two primary tables: a compliance-method table (one line per building describing the method of compliance and any project numbers) and a building-milestones table (up to…