ICC Board, Staff Involvement in NIBS Serves Building Safety

There are many components to building safety. One is teamwork. Another is sharing resources. The International Code Council supports the construction industry in many ways, including working with others to ensure safety in the built environment.

International Code Council Board of Directors President Stephen Jones, CBO, is secretary of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) National Council of Governments on Building Codes and Standards (NCGBCS). He spoke at the 2014 NIBS Conference Plenary Symposium about the role of advancing life-cycle performance. NCGBCS, also known as the Council of Governments, is adding pages to the Whole Building Design Guide specifically related to codes and standards. The guide is the largest online resource of construction related information in the world and includes federal construction criteria and a wealth of resources, but had not included a codes and standards resource section. NCGBS helps states and local jurisdictions coordinate efforts across geographic boundaries to make technical findings, improve performance criteria and promote standards to ensure safe, durable, accessible and efficient buildings.

Code Council Board of Directors Vice President Guy Tomberlin, Building Code Services Manager for Fairfax County, Va., Land Development Services; and Bill Bryant, Code Enforcement Administrator for the Department of Inspections and Permits in Anne Arundel County, Md., also attended the recent NIBS 2014 Conference.

Three former ICC Board members serve on the 2014 NIBS Board of Directors. James "Tim" Ryan, CBO, is the NIBS Board's new chair. He is the code administrator for Overland Park, Kan. Wally Bailey, a past ICC Board President, is director of development services for the Fort Smith, Ark., and the newly elected NIBS Board Treasurer. He represents local code officials in the public interest category. NIBS Board Member Cindy Davis, CBO, of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, also is a former ICC Board Member.

Ron Lynn, a past ICC Board President and Director and Building Official for the Clark County (Nev.) Department of Development Services Director, sits on the NIBS Building Seismic Safety Council. The purpose of the Council is to enhance public safety by providing a national forum for improved seismic safety provisions for use by the building community in the planning, design, construction, regulation, and utilization of buildings.

Code Council Senior Vice President of Government Relations Sara Yerkes is Chair of the NIBS Consultative Council. The Council assembles high-level building community representatives to make recommendations directly to the executive and legislative branches of government to improve our nation's buildings and infrastructure. Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, serves on the Council and was a participant in the NIBS Conference CEO Summit of Leaders from design and construction industry organizations.

Dave Walls, ICC Executive Director of Sustainability Programs, is on the NIBS Board of Advisors for the Commercial Workforce Credentialing Council. The Council is leading the development of guidelines to improve the quality and consistency of commercial building workforce credentials. It is a joint NIBS and U.S. Department of Energy initiative.

CSA Group, ICC Begin Joint Development of North American Standard for Rainwater Collection Systems

With the appointment of a U.S./Canadian Consensus Committee, the International Code Council and CSA Group announce the start of a project to develop the new CSA/ICC 805 Rainwater Collection System Design and Installation standard. The standard will ensure the safety and performance of rainwater collection systems, and developed in accordance with ANSI and Standards Council of Canada accreditation requirements for use throughout North America. Click here to read more.

ICC, ICC-ES Receive Outstanding Support and Recognition at the International Builders' and Kitchen and Bath Shows

The International Code Council (ICC) and ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), supporting organizations of the first-ever "Design & Construction Week" event Feb. 4-6 in Las Vegas, received outstanding support and recognition for their work from code officials and manufacturers alike while attending the shows.

The International Builders' Show co-located with the National Kitchen & Bath Association's Kitchen & Bath Industry Show for this inaugural event. The combined shows reached 70,000-plus residential construction and design professionals with a combined total of 1,500 exhibitors and more than 600,000 square feet of exhibits.

"It was an honor to be a supporting organization for this event," said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. "ICC and ICC-ES are at the forefront of emerging trends and products and how they affect the built environment. We recognized the value of this combined event and the impact it has on the industry in terms of new technology and educational opportunities."

Sims and ICC-ES President Shahin Moinian had a constructive exchange with other participants on the Design and Construction Week (DCW) Roundtable. Many industry associations were represented and the success of DCW was discussed along with the development of future similar industry events. One topic of discussion focused on the needs to attract skilled trade workers to the industry and develop training for them. Another was how the industry associations could work toward that common goal. ICC also participated in a number of working groups, subcommittee and committee meetings, and meetings with code officials in attendance. During the Construction Codes and Standards meeting, also attended by ICC Board members Patrick Parsley and Lynn Underwood, ICC presented an update on cdpACCESS, ICC's new collaborative, online code development initiative. The National Association of Home Builders expressed its support of cdpACCESS following Sims' update on the program and the desire to educate NAHB members and the communities they serve on the benefits of cdpACCESS.

"ICC-ES is committed to servicing our expanding client base and recognizing them for their commitment to safety and their loyalty," said Moinian. "We feel this was a very successful and educational event for our associations, manufacturers and code officials. The traffic at both booths was tremendous, which is indicative of the growth of the economy and the value of ICC-ES evaluation reports and listings to the industry."

High School Technical Program Supported by ICC Featured in Video

The Code Council's High School Technical Training Program (HSTTP), which teaches the importance of building codes and provides graduates with an advantage in the job market, is the subject of a video from the Harford County (Md.) Department of Inspections Licenses and Permits. Click here to view the video.

The ICC HSTTP is designed around the widely adopted International Residential Code (IRC). This comprehensive code compiles all building, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas and electrical requirements for one- and two-family dwellings in one convenient code book. This allows the IRC to serve as a comprehensive textbook for students in virtually every construction-related discipline and familiarize students with examples of how construction codes are written and applied. Using the IRC and IRC Study Companion for coursework saves schools and instructors time and money because there is no need to purchase additional codes for various trades.

The flexible HSTTP educational program is divided into four parts: building, plumbing, HVAC (mechanical) and electrical. This four-part structure enables a technical school to integrate one or more parts of the program into its current construction trade curricula to better provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of construction trades. Students completing all elements of a part, including a final exam, will receive a nationally recognized Certificate of Achievement from ICC. The program includes the necessary course materials, exams and certificates to ensure easy implementation.

Contact ICC HSTTP Consultant Jim Ellwood for more information.

Plans Underway for 11th Annual Bob Fowler Motorcycle Ride

There are now more than 20 people already registered for the first overnight Bob Fowler Motorcycle Ride.
Ted Fowler, building official from Cooper City, Fla., has set the 11th Annual Bob Fowler Motorcycle Ride to take place September 27–28, 2014, prior to the ICC Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale. We will ride from Fort Lauderdale to Key West Florida traveling along the edge of the Everglades on Krome Ave into the Florida Keys via Old Card Sound Road, which will encompass Key Biscayne down through Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon over the Seven Mile Bridge to Key West. We will spend the night in Key West and return to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday.

This is a ride you will not want to miss and one that you need to register for now. We need a head count, but more important you need to make motorcycle reservations for the two days and room reservations for the night of September 27 in Key West. Information on registration, starting location, motorcycle rentals and room reservations is included in the ride registration information.

REGISTRATION
The registration fee of 75.00 for one rider and the fee of 75.00 for one passenger for both days includes a guided tour and 11th Annual Bob Fowler Ride t-shirt. Registrations received prior to September 1 will be included in the drawing for return of the registration fee of 75.00. Money raised from the ride is donated to the ICC Code of Honor to help with scholarships for code officials to attend ICC Code Hearings.

2013 RIDE WRAPUP
The Bob Fowler Motorcycle Ride in 2013 was a real educational experience traveling on September 28, 2013, from Atlantic City through the New Jersey Pine Barrens, blueberry fields and cranberry bogs with lunch provided by the Central Jersey Code Officials Association. On Sunday, the ride headed south taking in the New Jersey shoreline through Ocean City with stops at Hereford Inlet and Cape May to visit lighthouses.

Thanks to John Fiedler for organizing and Richard Soltis for planning and guiding these rides. Also a thanks to Richard's wife, Christine Soltis, for picking up and setting up the picnic lunch in Washington Crossing State Park. Finally, thanks to the Central Jersey Code Officials Association for providing the lunch and drinks, and the New Jersey Building Officials Association for their support of the whole event.

18 Earn Coveted ICC Master Code Professional Status

The achievement of the Master Code Professional (MCP) designation from the International Code Council is the highest level of ICC Certification and has become the gold standard for demonstrating proficiency in the building and fire safety profession. Currently, there are more than 700 MCP professionals worldwide, and their achievements are a benefit to the code enforcement profession, as well as their communities.

"The Master Code Professional certification is the pinnacle of all ICC certifications, representing a level of effort, knowledge, and dedication that elevates not only the individual achieving it, but the code official profession as a whole," said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

"Achieving the Master Code Professional certification was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it," said Danny Hawkins, Deputy Building Official for the city of Fort Pierce in Port St. Lucie, Fla. "I consider it a great honor to be part of such an elite group of building safety professionals who are serving and protecting the public." Hawkins earned his first ICC certification in 2005 and currently holds 19 ICC certifications.

To become an ICC Master Code Professional, a candidate must first earn eight core ICC certifications plus an additional number of elective ICC certifications. Typical Master Code Professionals hold 17 or more ICC certifications. To become Master Code Professional, certified individuals must complete an additional 45 hours of Continuing Education Units every three years to maintain active status. Master Code Professionals are typically responsible for all technical and management aspects of code enforcement with duties that range from the management of a code enforcement department to the supervision of inspectors and plan reviewers. Click here for information on requirements needed to achieve the Master Code Professional designation.

Share Your Chapter News with Us

Have a recent meeting you'd like to share with your fellow Chapters? Did you start a new program, elect new officers, have a successful training session or recognize a fellow Chapter member? Let's show our Chapter pride by sharing all the great things chapters do throughout the year in the name of public safety. Send your photos, captions and Chapter news items to chapters@iccsafe.org. We'll see that they are published in an upcoming edition of ICC eNews.

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Marino\WARE, ES Strengthen Relationship with New Listing/Evaluation Reports

ICC-ES recently issued a new listing to Marino/WARE (ESL-1005) for diamond mesh and self-furred diamond mesh 2.5# and 3.4# and V-groove mesh in 2.5# and 3.4#, which conform to ASTM C847-09, Specification for Metal Lath and are in compliance with the specified sections of the 2012 International Building Code and the 2012 International Residential Code. In addition to ESL-1005, Marino/WARE holds multiple ICC-ES Evaluation Reports that are current to the 2012 I-Codes. Companies offering lines such as Marino\WARE's structural steel framing products benefit tremendously from having their products evaluated by ICC-ES. Read more

New York City Special Inspection Agency Accreditation Training Program

The International Accreditation Service (IAS) will be offering the New York City Special Inspection Agency Accreditation Training Program, April 22–23, in New York City. This two-day IAS training program provides an overview of the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Special Inspection Agencies AC291, ISO/IEC Standard 17020 and New York City Department of Buildings requirements and rules that govern the accreditation of Special Inspection Agencies (SIA). Click here for more information.