Learn how to assess buildings for safety after a disaster.

Intended for licensed architects, engineers, or certified building inspectors, this training certifies attendees as Building Evaluators in the nationally recognized Safety Assessment Program (SAP).

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 the safety evaluation of their built environment in the 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 completing 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.

Certification valid for 5 years

Approved for 6.5 AIA HSW Credits

  • 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.

After successfully completing the AIA CT SAP Training, eligible individuals will be sent an exam from CAL-OES and need to be able to demonstrate proficiency with the information learned during the course in order to receive their California-issued registration ID Card.

Participants are responsible for purchasing these texts from ATC. They are not included in the course cost.

Evaluator Field Manuals

Picture of Stephen Forneris, AIA LEED AP BD+C

Stephen Forneris, AIA LEED AP BD+C

Stephen Forneris is an architect and principal at Perkins Eastman a New York based Architecture and planning firm. With more than 30 years of experience Forneris specializes in a broad range of practice areas, including healthcare, urban planning, and residential projects across the USA. and Latin America. He holds active licenses to practice architecture in both Ecuador and the USA. A guest lecturer at Yale University, Columbia University, and NYU, he has authored publications on building codes and disaster resilience and has spoken at TEDx Quito on how buildings need to be safer, more resilient, and more adaptable to the challenges of climate change.

Details to be posted soon

Ticket Pricing for the Two-Day Program

  • AIA CT Member: $99.00
  • Non-CT AIA Member Component Member: $99.00
  • Engineer: $99.00
  • Certified Building Official: $99.00
  • Non-Member: $149.00

DATE:
Wednesday, February 4 &
Thursday, February 5, 2026* 

February 4: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
February 5: 9:00am – 12:00pm

*must attend both days of training

LOCATION:
Virtual
REGISTER TODAY


Register by January 23, 2026

Disclaimer: Please notify the AIA Connecticut Staff Events Team of any cancellation or substitution. Refunds are only available two weeks prior to the event (January 21, 2025). Any cancellations after January 21, 2026 will not be given a refund. Team member substitution will only be allowed up until January 21, 2025.
AIA Connecticut reserves the right to amend, modify, or otherwise revise the Refund/Cancellation and the Disclaimer policy in accordance with applicable federal or state guidelines.