Fire Protection Design Requirements: Medline Distribution Center, Midlothian, TX

Meta Description: Fire protection design for the 1.2M sq ft Medline distribution center in Midlothian, TX — NFPA 13-2019, high-pile storage, and AHJ code compliance.

Section 1: Project Overview

Medline Industries [Nasdaq: MDLN] broke ground in March 2026 on a new 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center on a 79-acre site in Midlothian, Texas, approximately 25 miles south of Fort Worth. The $150 million facility is targeted to be operational in the second quarter of 2027 and will expand Medline's U.S. network of 45 distribution centers.

The Midlothian center will serve healthcare providers across the continuum of care — hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, physician offices, nursing homes, and hospices — across the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The facility will incorporate the AutoStore robotic storage and retrieval system deployed at Medline's other large distribution centers, and will include temperature-controlled storage space.

At 1.2 million square feet, this is a large-format Group S-1 occupancy under the International Building Code. The combination of a high-density automated storage system, temperature-controlled zones, and a healthcare commodity product mix creates a fire protection design scope that requires early coordination, not afterthought.

Section 2: Fire Protection Challenges Specific to This Project

High-Density Automated Storage

The AutoStore system uses a closed aluminum grid that stacks storage bins vertically in a dense, compacted array. From a fire protection standpoint, this is a high-piled storage configuration. Under NFPA 13-2019, the controlling variables are storage height, commodity classification, and whether the grid structure constitutes an obstruction to sprinkler discharge.

ESFR (Early Suppression Fast Response) sprinklers are widely used in high-bay warehouses, but their suitability here depends on ceiling height, clearances above the top of storage, and whether in-rack sprinklers are required within or below the grid. The closed aluminum grid structure is likely to be classified as an obstruction under NFPA 13-2019 Section 8.5. Designers must document how the sprinkler discharge pattern reaches the storage — whether through engineered ceiling-only coverage with supporting hydraulic calculations, or by incorporating in-rack protection within the storage zones.

Temperature-Controlled Storage

Temperature-controlled storage at distribution scale introduces significant sprinkler design complexity. Spaces operating at or below 40°F require systems designed to prevent water from freezing in supply piping. NFPA 13-2019 Section 7.6 covers temperature ratings for sprinkler heads in refrigerated spaces. Designers typically evaluate three options: dry-pipe systems, pre-action systems, or listed antifreeze systems. Each has trade-offs in response speed, trip time, drainage slope requirements, and ongoing maintenance demand. The choice should be made early because it affects pipe sizing, drainage slope, and compressor room clearances in the cold-storage envelope.

Commodity Classification

Medical supply distribution encompasses a broad range of products — plastics, foam packaging, cartoned goods, and fluid-containing devices. Many of these fall into Group A or B plastics classifications under NFPA 13-2019. The commodity classification must be formally evaluated against the actual product mix before a sprinkler design can be completed. If the owner adds product lines post-design that shift the classification, the sprinkler system may need to be re-engineered.

Section 3: Required Systems and Applicable Codes

The City of Midlothian (Ellis County) serves as the local Authority Having Jurisdiction for this project. The Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) enforces statewide NFPA adoptions. The following standards are verified as adopted for this jurisdiction:

NFPA 13-2019, NFPA 14-2019, and NFPA 20-2019 are adopted under 28 TAC §34.707, effective September 1, 2023. NFPA 72-2019 is adopted under 28 TAC §34.607. The Texas SFMO uses NFPA 101-2021 and NFPA 1-2021 as its inspection standards, also effective September 1, 2023.

At this scale, the building will require a full automatic sprinkler system, a fire alarm and notification system, emergency voice/alarm communications (EVAC), and standpipe coverage per NFPA 14-2019. The presence of temperature-controlled zones, robotic storage, and a footprint exceeding one million square feet means each section of the building must be analyzed independently rather than applying uniform design assumptions across the floor plate.

Section 4: What Designers Need to Think Through

Several decisions must be resolved before a sprinkler layout or fire alarm device placement can be finalized:

Storage height and commodity classification lock-in. The sprinkler design cannot be completed without knowing the maximum storage height of the AutoStore grid and the classification of stored commodities. These facts need to be contractually locked down with the owner before design is complete. Late changes in either variable can invalidate the design basis.

Obstruction documentation under NFPA 13-2019. The closed-top aluminum AutoStore grid is a candidate for obstruction classification under Section 8.5. The designer must work through whether ceiling-only protection is defensible — supported by hydraulic analysis — or whether in-rack sprinklers inside or below the grid array are required. This conversation should include the AHJ before the sprinkler design is finalized.

Antifreeze versus dry pipe selection for temperature-controlled areas. Listed antifreeze systems offer faster thermal response but require approval of the antifreeze solution type and concentration. Dry-pipe systems have an established code basis but require careful trip time compliance and drainage planning. Pre-action systems add a detection layer that some AHJs prefer in areas with high false-discharge risk. The AHJ's position on each option should be confirmed at the pre-submittal meeting.

Standpipe outlet coverage across a 1.2M sq ft footprint. NFPA 14-2019 governs outlet spacing, but in a single-story warehouse of this depth, the travel distance from a standpipe outlet to the farthest point in the building can exceed code limits if outlets are not positioned with warehouse geometry in mind rather than standard corridor assumptions. This should be mapped early in the design.

Section 5: How ProTech CDS Approaches Projects Like This

On large industrial and distribution projects, ProTech CDS works through the commodity classification analysis, obstruction assessments, and temperature-controlled zone requirements during the design phase — before those decisions become change orders.

NICET IV review and PE seals are available in all 50 states when the AHJ requires them, which means sealed fire protection drawings for Texas and any other jurisdiction can be produced without the owner engaging a separate PE of record. Completed design packages are delivered under white-label if your firm needs to maintain its brand on the documents.

Submit a project for review at lockin.protechcds.com.

Section 6: Call to Action

If your team is designing fire protection for a large-format industrial or distribution facility and needs NFPA 13-2019 sprinkler design, fire alarm drawings, or AHJ submittals, contact ProTech CDS at lockin.protechcds.com to discuss scope and schedule.