AIAU: AIA Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training

Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training 2025 | September 24-25

NOTE: THIS IS AN AIAU-HOSTED VIRTUAL PROGRAM, SHARED COURTESY OF THE SC COTE COMMITTEE

AIA Safety Assessment Program (SAP) Evaluator Training The program is managed by Cal OES with cooperation from professional organizations, including AIA. It utilizes volunteers and mutual aid resources to provide professional engineers, architects and certified building inspectors to assist local governments in safety evaluation of their built environment in an aftermath of a disaster. SAP is the training standard of the AIA Disaster Assistance Program, which provides leadership, advocacy, and training to architects who are interested in volunteering their professional skills in times of crisis. This workshop will teach participants to conduct rapid damage assessments of structures affected by earthquakes, wind, and water. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to consistently and safely assess structures for habitability and will receive a nationally recognized Cal OES registration ID card from the state of California.

Learning Objectives

– Recognize the important role architects and associated building professionals play in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

– Accurately conduct a post-disaster rapid building assessment and complete appropriate damage assessment forms.

– Demonstrate understanding of the Applied Technology Council’s ATC 20 Post-earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings and ATC 45 Safety Evaluation of Buildings after Windstorms and Floods damage assessment procedures.

– Explain the features of the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS), including how SAP and other requirements fit within those systems to support disaster response.

Certification process

After successfully completing both days of the AIA’s SAP training, eligible individuals will need to fill out the Cal OES registration form in order to receive their California-issued registration ID card.

To earn AIA CE LUs for this course, participants must attend both live sessions and complete the 38-question quiz. Purchase of this course is non-refundable.

Not yet licensed? While this training is intended for licensed architects, engineers, or certified building inspectors, we encourage students and emerging professionals to take the training. Completing the training provides early exposure to the importance of disaster assistance and helps build a sustainable pipeline of future and certified professionals that can serve as Building Evaluators. If you become licensed within 5 years of successfully completing the training, you are eligible to be certified and receive a Cal-OES registration ID Card. In the meantime, you will be able to participate in deployments under the supervision of a licensed and certified architect.