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HUD Proposes to Replace FHA Building Inspectors A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposal to eliminate Federal Housing Administration (FHA) inspectors recognizes the quality of the work performed by ICC Members and all jurisdictional code officials. The rule change also demonstrates the value of earning International Code Council certification as an inspector and the quality of the Code Council's rigorous certification process. |
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2013 Code of Honor Scholarships The scholarship application period will open on Monday, May 20 and close on Friday, July 12. Code of Honor professional development scholarships help to ensure the I-Codes reflect the consensus view of officials at all levels of government by providing funding to Governmental Member Voting Representatives seeking to attend and participate in the Public Comment Hearings, Oct. 2–10, in Atlantic City, N.J. Last year, 93 scholarships were awarded to Governmental Member Voting Representatives. |
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Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Welcomes Businesses with a "Personal Touch" Since the beginning of last year, the Rancho Cucamonga Building & Safety Department has been reinventing itself as a business friendly public entity by reaching out to new and existing businesses on a more personal level when issuing Certificates of Occupancies. |
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Structural Engineering, Codes and Standards Expert W. Gene Corley Passes Away Dr. W. Gene Corley, one of the world’s foremost experts on building collapse investigations, passed away March 1 after a brief illness. He was 77. |
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Vicki Thrasher Named to Indiana Association of Building Officials Valparaiso Building Commissioner Vicki Thrasher has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Indiana Association of Building Officials (IABO). Thrasher will represent the northern region of the state on the 10-member board. IABO is committed to the professional development of those charged with protecting public safety by enforcing building related codes in the State of Indiana. She also serves on the Code Committee for IABO, helping to develop building codes adopted statewide. "We're proud to have Vicki serve at the state level and we’re very pleased with her efforts both in our city and around our state," said Mayor Jon Costas. Vicki joined the City of Valparaiso’s Engineering Department in 2002 and was named Building Commissioner in 2004. She works to ensure the safety and compliance of buildings throughout the city. She is a graduate of Purdue Calumet with a degree in construction engineering technology and is certified by the International Code Council. Thrasher is also an active volunteer with Rebuilding Together. Read more at Valpolife.com |
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First Responder's Body Returned to Illinois Hometown Kevin Sanders, 33, a city of Waco veterinary and emergency medical technician who volunteered with the Bruceville-Eddy Fire Department, was among the 14 people killed in the explosion at a West, Texas, fertilizer plant last month. Several Chicago-area fire departments gave a full honor escort as Sanders' body was transported from O'Hare Airport to his hometown of Plainfield, Ill., on April 27. "We don't like to do it but we have to do it," Frankfort Fire Department Chief Larry Rauch told ABC 7 News. "It's a tribute to those in the fire service who have lost their life. It's closure for all of us." Sanders had served with Plainfield's emergency management team for five years before moving to Texas. He was taking an EMT class when fire broke out at the plant. His group responded and was helping evacuate nearby residents when the explosion devastated the small town of 2,500. "There is no more sacrifice someone can give as far as laying down there life for someone else, so everything you see over the next four or five days is honoring him but also his family," Plainfield Police Department Chief John Konopeck also told ABC 7 News. "There are a few members that remained in pretty good contact with him even after he moved down to Texas, but all of our members worked side by side with him during the time he was here, so some are taking it hard." |
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BOAT Members Assisting in West, Texas, Recovery Members of the Building Officials Association of Texas (BOAT) volunteered countless hours to perform 160 assessments of properties that were damaged by the explosion, as well as conduct 40 electrical release inspections. Members are still assisting with numerous other needs while one inspector will remain the field until further notice. "The photos you see on television do not even begin to tell the story," said BOAT Chapter Member Lawrence Crow, who serves as Field Operations Manager for the city of Irving, Texas, Building Inspections Department. "We will be sharing our findings and will be making recommendations as to how we can be better prepared in the future." |
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Freeland Named New Building Official for Gainesville, Fla. John Freeland has been named the new Building Official for the city of Gainesville. Freeland was previously employed with Alachua County, Florida, for 15 years, first as an inspector before working his way up through the ranks to Building Official for the past three years. Erik Bredfeldt, the city's interim Director of Planning and Development Services, said Freeland has a "solid relationship" with the local building and development industry and has been a leader in more efficient permitting processes and the use of computer technology for inspection dispatch and reporting. Freeland also has a "strong commitment to support sustainable building technology that bridges the gaps between the builders, environmental interests and the end user," Bredfeldt added. Freeland fills the position created by the retirement of former ICC Board of Directors Member Doug Murdoch in October 2012. Read more from Gainesville.com |
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