2008: The Year in Perspective

The approach of a new year prompts us to review and reflect on the events and accomplishments of 2008. It helps us set the groundwork for the year ahead as we move toward new goals. Despite the current economic downturn, and resulting slowdown in the construction industry, it was a year that saw continued growth in green building, more International Code adoptions and increased support of many Code Council initiatives on Capitol Hill.

For the Code Council, 2008 was one in which we made significant progress toward our vision of raising awareness of code officials’—First Preventers—critical public safety role, becoming more active in the sustainable building movement, improving support and services for membership, and creating strategic partnerships with other industry groups. We listened to your requests and directed much of our efforts and activities to the advocacy of these platform missions.

Among the year’s highlights, we:

• Signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency to reduce the loss of life and property caused by natural disasters.
• Continued to invest in the strategic Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas (PMG) listing program. The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) introduced a new PMG Listing Program that released numerous product listings during the year and received accreditation from the American National Standards Institute.
• Launched the new Sustainable Attributes Verification and Evaluation (SAVE) program by the ICC Evaluation Service, which provides independent confirmation that evaluated building products are sustainable.
• Addressed the growing interest in green building by creating a Sustainable Building Technology Committee for our growing portfolio of green initiatives, and developing a Green Building Certification for inspectors.
• Continued to build support for the Community Building Code Administration Grant Program to promote and enhance the operation of local building code administration and enforcement across the country by providing federal grants to building departments to enhance their code enforcement capabilities. Code Council CEO Rick Weiland testified before Congress, and the Building Code Grant legislation passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Continued to advocate for “First Preventers” through our Code Official Profile Campaign to educate the public, industry and elected officials about the critical role code officials play in improving the level of safety in the built environment.
• Revamped our Premium eCodes website to offer instant access to the International Codes and customized options for code users.
• Signed an agreement with the Instituto Uruguayo de Normas Tecnicas to promote building safety in Uruguay.
• Partnered with the American National Standards Institute to electronically deliver the International Codes in Spanish.
• Raised public awareness of building safety and fire prevention with our annual Building Safety Week event.
• Addressed fire prevention issues by joining fire safety experts from across the country in the Vision 20/20 program. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security, the program brings together fire prevention efforts and focuses them collectively to address the fire problem in the United States.
  

For 2009, we will continue to focus on the development of these missions. You can also rest assured, we are listening to the other reasons you value the Code Council and will be communicating more than ever through our publications, website, supporters and annual reports, as well as providing opportunities for you to interact with one another and share knowledge.

To read more on the Code Council's many accomplishments in 2008, click here.

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