ICC Training and Education Program Reaccredited
as Authorized Provider of IACET CEUs

Prestigious accreditation demonstrates commitment to high-quality lifelong learning.

The International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) has awarded reaccreditation status to the International Code Council. IACET Authorized Providers are the only organizations approved to offer IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The accreditation period extends for five years and includes all programs offered or created during that time.

"We are pleased to be able to recognize ICC as a member of an elite group of organizations that offer excellent continuing education and training programs," stated Michael Todd Shinholster, President of IACET and Founder and Principal Consultant of Culture Bridge and a Lecturer of International Business at Kennesaw State University in Woodstock, Ga. Shinholster added, "ICC joins nearly 650 organizations around the globe that have had their programs vetted by third-party experts in continuing education to ensure the highest possible standards are met."

To achieve Authorized Provider accreditation, ICC completed a rigorous application process, including an on-site review by IACET, and successfully demonstrated adherence to the ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard addressing the design, development, administration, and evaluation of its programs. ICC has pledged its continued compliance with the Standard and is now authorized to use the IACET name and Authorized Provider logo on promotional course material. In addition, ICC is now linked to the IACET website and is recognized as offering the highest quality continuing education and training programs.

Pro Board Accredits ICC Fire Inspector Certifications

The National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) Committee on Accreditation has accredited the International Code Council Fire Inspector I and Fire Inspector II certifications. The Pro Board accredits organizations that use the National Fire Protection Association's professional qualification standards. Its purpose is to establish an internationally recognized means of acknowledging professional achievement in the fire service and related fields.

The benefits of Pro Board accreditation to ICC Certification holders include:

• Global recognition;
• Compliance with NFPA standards;
• Listing in Pro Board certification registry;
• Reciprocity with many Pro Board accredited organizations; and
• Credibility that ICC Fire Inspector I and II certifications are earned from an organization that has been accredited after meeting Pro Board's rigorous accreditation process.

A Pro Board-stamped certificate is available for candidates who pass the ICC Fire Inspector I or Fire Inspector II exam on or after Jan. 1, 2013. Applicants who earn the certification will be listed in the Pro Board certification registry. The Pro Board certification registry will not recognize certifications attained prior to Jan. 1.

The Pro Board accreditation process involves a detailed self-study document, a review by the Pro Board Committee on Accreditation (COA) for compliance with the accreditation criteria and a site visit by a team of COA members. The site visit includes an extensive review of the association's testing and certification processes.

A Better Situation for Today,
Tomorrow and the Future

Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, adopts 2012 International Codes to ensure safe growth.

By Nick Reiher

Mt. Juliet may sound like a quiet, unassuming little community. But the mighty mite just outside of Nashville has more than doubled its population during the past 10 years, and businesses have followed suit, leading to Mt. Juliet being named among the Top Five Most Business Friendly Communities in Tennessee.

"We are the fastest-growing city in the state of Tennessee," said Dwayne Hicks, the city's Assistant Public Works Director. And there's more growth on the way.

Hicks said the city has 52 commercial projects going, as well as plans for 1,000 houses ranging from 1,400 to 8,000 square feet on a mixed-use development that also includes light industrial. There's even a gated community for seniors that's expected to have 1,500 to 2,000 homes.

Knowing they have even more growth just down the road, Mt. Juliet officials also knew they needed to maintain the safest built environment possible. So the city joined Amarillo, Texas, and the state of South Carolina as the first jurisdictions to adopt the new 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC). The ISPSC is the only comprehensive code to upgrade pool and spa safety and meet the requirements of the Virginia Graeme Baker Act.

Hicks said many of those new homes are sure to have outdoor pools, both in-ground and above-ground. And some of the higher-end homes even may have indoor pools.

But that wasn't all, Hicks said. "We essentially needed all the codes the International Code Council had to offer," he said. "Especially the ones dealing with building."

So, Mt. Juliet also adopted the 2012 versions of the International Building, Residential, Fire, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Property Maintenance and Existing Building Codes, and the ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities, which presents regulations based on outcome rather than prescription and encourages new design methods by allowing a broader parameter for meeting the intent of the International Codes.

Mt. Juliet also adopted ICC 300-2012: Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, and Grandstands standard with comprehensive provisions for new and existing installations of bleacher seating.

Knowing the 2012 codes were coming, Hicks said city officials have been meeting with contractors and vendors for months to talk about all the changes that would be implemented under the new codes. "That allowed everyone to get ready; the vendors to use up the old stock," he added.

Leading the charge for this strong code process, along with Hicks, are Mayor Ed Hagerty, City Manager Kenny Martin and Chief Building Official Bennie McCoy. Hagerty is a former contractor, Hicks said, and shows 100 percent support for safe construction during meetings with contractors and vendors.

When he first started with the city as a police officer 23 years ago, Martin said, Mt. Juliet had two traffic lights and "lots and lots of metal-sided buildings with very little landscaping or creature features."

Although practical and appreciated, he said, "the buildings sometimes lacked appropriate safety, electrical, plumbing, material and ADA features, along with issues concerning environmental, storm water and even architectural, or appearance issues."

Focusing on codes and code enforcement since that time, he said, has made for a better community for citizens and visitors.

"As a result," Martin said, "We are better situated for today, tomorrow and the long-term future for not only business and residential growth, but long-term sustainability as well."

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