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 Hawaii Governor Abercrombie Signs Bills to Benefit Building and Fire SafetyHawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie recently signed two bills into law that establishes new certification requirements for fire protection systems and appliances and adds funding to staff the State Building Code Council. SB2300, Act 165 authorizes the State Fire Council (SFC) to certify individuals to meet minimum standards of competency to conduct maintenance testing of fire protection systems and appliances. The certifications will be recognized statewide and based on current adopted state fire codes and nationally recognized standards. "These lifesaving systems require routine maintenance to ensure reliable operability when they are utilized by fire department personnel and to protect building occupants under emergency conditions," the SFC said in a statement. "The SFC is planning to partner with private organizations to administer competency tests for individuals involved in maintenance testing for the various fire protection systems and appliances. It will also solicit input from the various fire protection system companies to provide equitable certification criteria." SB2581, Act 164 adds funding for the State Building Code Council (SBCC) to hire an Executive Director and staff and assist the council with updating ad adopting the 2012 editions of the International Codes. The SBCC plans to update to the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code primarily because it contains new provisions for tropical climates. The new law also adds three new members to the SBCC: a representative from the State Energy Office; a position that will alternate between the Building Industry of Hawaii and General Contractors Association; and a third position for subcontractors. "The Governor's signing of this bill is a milestone event for the Building Code Council, as it not only provides the funding necessary and a revision of members for this body to continue its work, but it also provides affirmation that this body is providing value to the State of Hawaii," said SBCC Chairman Timothy Hiu. "The addition of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism as a voting member of the Council is crucial because the Department chairs the Energy Subcommittee and is charged with adapting the model energy code, intended for cold climates, to suit Hawaii's unique conditions," said Mark Glick, administrator of the State Energy Office. "Adding the BIA and the Subcontractors Association is also key as they are the umbrella groups for most of Hawaii's home builders, suppliers of building materials, and the building trades." Glick added, "The budget appropriation allowing the Council to hire an executive director and an administrative assistant will be especially useful in moving proposed codes through the State Administrative Rule process, which requires considerable time and effort." |
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| Survey of Code Professionals Predicts Substantial Retirement Exodus A recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences on behalf of the International Code Council reveals information that if not addressed in the coming years, may have an impact on the public safety of thousands of communities in the United States. A total of 3,850 code professionals responded, answering a range of questions, from salary and job responsibilities to educational background and retirement plans. The resulting data reveals some key demographic information about the current workforce; forecasts future workforce needs; and highlights untapped avenues for reaching new recruits. |
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| Customer Call Center Seeking Input from Members and Stakeholders The Code Council's Customer Call Center is seeking feedback from Members and stakeholders as part of its constant focus on customer service. Please take a moment to help us improve your experience with the Code Council by answering the following questions in this brief survey. |
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| Sonoma Building Department Helps Post-Quake Napa Following the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the city of Napa in Northern California on August 24, the city of Sonoma Building Department sent Building Inspector Kathy Toohey and Plans Examiner Joe Burroughs (both certified by the California Emergency Management Agency as Disaster Service Worker Coordinators) to Napa for assistance with earthquake safety assessments. They spent three days in Napa assisting safety assessment teams from throughout the state in evaluating damage and posting their findings on more than 630 buildings. Both Toohey and Burroughs indicated that they were impressed by the quick deployment and dedication of more than 60 safety assessment inspectors from throughout California. Sonoma Development Services Director and Building Official Wayne Wirick, Jr. reported that one building in Sonoma has been found to have moderate structural damage and two other buildings have been found to have minor structural damage. "Given the relatively minor quake damage that occurred in the city of Sonoma, it was important that we help out our neighbors in Napa in responding to this disaster," said Wirick. More than 116 buildings in the city of Napa have been posted with red "Unsafe" placards indicating that the buildings are uninhabitable and 513 buildings were posted with yellow "Restricted Use" placards indicating that some type of damage was sustained to the buildings due to the quake. Read more |
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| Former Winter Haven Building Official Jeff Taylor Dies Jeff Taylor, the town of Winter Haven's building official from about 2007 until his retirement in 2013, died after suffering a heart attack. He was 63. Employed by the town as a building inspector from 1998 to 1999, and again from 2003 until 2013 as assistant building official and later as building official, Taylor touched lives throughout all of Florida as a building official. Bob Moore, a former director of the town's Planning, Zoning and Building Department, said Taylor was multi-certified in state licensure for building inspections and plan review, and as a building official. "I think he held somewhere in the vicinity of 10 to 12 different licenses," said Moore. "He was an exceptionally intelligent building official. He knew all of his codes." Read more |
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