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| GRapevine: Government Relation Network | |
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| Nearly 100 ASSE and ASPE Members Brave Cold Weather for Annual Joint Meeting | |
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| Special Inspection Agency Training in New York City | |
| Inspection Agency Training Offered in La Habra, Calif. | |
| Testing and Calibration Laboratory Training in La Habra, Calif. |
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The International Code Council is helping the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reach out to ICC Members and building safety professionals throughout the industry to attend a series of workshops devoted to developing a comprehensive, community-based disaster resilience framework. |
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| NIBS: Safer Buildings Are the Result of Building Codes Created by Private Sector A statement from NIBS President Henry Green attributes safe buildings to strong codes, standards and the regulatory system.  The nation's buildings have never been safer. Fire deaths have declined significantly—the 10-year trend in the fire death rate per million population decreased 21 percent from 2001 to 2010—and new buildings incorporate lessons learned from previous hazard events to better protect their occupants. These improvements are largely the result of strong building codes and a regulatory system focused at the state and local level. And the majority of these codes and standards for constructing safe, efficient buildings are developed by private-sector organizations.Unlike the standards development process in most other countries, the United States relies on the private sector, rather than the government, to develop and disseminate building codes and related standards. State and local governments in the United States are responsible for the adoption and enforcement of building codes as one of their governmental functions. In the past, these same entities also were the parties responsible for developing the codes themselves. This meant the potential for thousands of different municipalities placing thousands of different code requirements on manufacturers, designers and contractors. Today, that process has evolved into a national model code system that supports consistency and certainty for the manufacturers, designers and contractors that make up a large segment of the national economy and delivers buildings and structures that serve the needs of our nation's citizens. "Though not perfect, the current system of private-sector-administered building codes and standards—coupled with an effective state and local enforcement infrastructure—has served our Nation well," stated National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) President Henry Green. "Abandoning the current system of code development and ceding to the short-sighted calls to make access to codes and standards 'free' today will have long-standing—and expensive—consequences to the safety of our buildings and communities tomorrow." Continue reading story |
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February was Career and Technical Education Month, and the senior computer aided drafting and design class at Polytech High School in Woodside, Del., along with the school's building construction classes, enrolled students in a High School Technical Training Program administered by the International Code Council. Polytech worked with Marc St. Jean, plans reviewer and field inspector for Kent County, to enroll students into the program. St. Jean is also the president of the Delaware Building Officials Association. |
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World Plumbing Day is a global event initiated by the World Plumbing Council. The first International Code published was the 1997 International Plumbing Code (IPC). Today, the IPC is used in 35 states and Washington, D.C., as a proven, comprehensive model code that works seamlessly with the Code Council's family of codes. It sets minimum regulations for plumbing systems and components to protect the life, health and safety of the public. |
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 Sponsored Scholarships Available April 28Children of code enforcement agency personnel whose jurisdictional authority is an active ICC Governmental Member have the opportunity to apply for five Sponsored Scholarships: the ICC General Scholarship Fund; the William J. Tangye Scholarship; the J.W. "Bill" Neese Scholarship; the C.D. Howard Scholarship; and the Charlie O'Meilia Scholarship. Children must be dependents as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Typically, this includes birth children, stepchildren, legally adopted children or a legal ward financially supported by the employee. The recipients for these scholarships must be enrolled in a recognized and/or accredited school such as a university, trade school, business college or other as approved by ICC prior to distribution of the award. The recipients are selected by a committee of volunteers. The scholarships are funded by contributors and International Code Council Chapters. The scholarship program is managed by the Code Council. The recipients for these scholarships are selected by a committee of volunteers. Separate policies are in effect for each scholarship that details the selection and administrative guidelines, eligibility requirements, and the selection criteria. Only one application is needed to apply for all the scholarships. The 2014 scholarship cycle opens April 28 and closes on June 27. Scholarships will be awarded by August 1. |
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 Managed Scholarship Deadlines NearThe International Code Council provides administrative support for ICC Chapters who have scholarship programs. Recipients of managed scholarships are selected by the sponsoring ICC Chapters in accordance with criteria determined by the Chapter. The scholarships are funded solely by the sponsoring ICC Chapters. The International Code Council coordinates the distribution of the scholarships. Separate policies are in effect for each scholarship that details the administrative guidelines. The Richard "Dick" Gecoma Scholarship and the Building Official Association of South Carolina Scholarship deadlines are March 15 and April 18, respectively. The two Managed Scholarships are funded solely by the sponsoring ICC Chapters. |
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More than 880 staff members from 36 states are 100-percent International Code Council certified as part of the Get Everyone Certified Challenge, now in its second year. View photos of departments with 100-percent Code Council certified staff.
The Challenge encourages code enforcement departments to get all technical staff members certified by the Code Council. Departments with staff members who are 100-percent Code Council certified will be listed on the 100-percent certified webpage, and receive a personalized department certificate, sample news release and an e-badge to promote the staff's achievement. |
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Each year, the International Code Council receives more than 40,000 questions about plan reviews. Join Christopher R. Reeves, PE—responsible for administration of plan review services for the Code Council—for a two-hour webinar on Evaluating Preliminary Building Plan Review Requirements. Whether you're new to reviewing plans or new to preparing plans for review, this webinar will give you an understanding of the plan review record checklist and how the elements of a plan—from use and occupancy classification to basic means of egress requirements—come together. |
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 Sharpen Skills, Network & Earn CEUs at ICC Residential Inspection InstituteResidential Inspection Institute | Austin, Texas | March 24–28 Time is running out to register for the Code Council's Residential Inspection Institute. Register now to receive important instruction and materials from experts in building codes and inspection at this interactive, five-day event. Learn step-by-step processes to complete residential building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical inspections. Based on the 2012 International Codes, this course will help you perform residential inspections more efficiently. You will review the latest inspection tools and receive practical information from those that know the codes best. After completing the Institute, you will be better able to: • Perform effective and efficient residential building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical inspections in compliance with the 2012 International Residential Code • Use industry best practices and practical information to improve residential inspection techniques • Use resource manuals to acquire knowledge to employ on the job Develop the skills you need to succeed in the building safety industry, register today! See all of ICC's upcoming Institutes. For more information, contact us by email at icctraining@iccsafe.org or call 888-ICC-SAFE (888-422-7233) ext. 33818. |
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| GRapevine: Government Relation Network Through this column we will be writing about what ICC Government Relations is up to around the country, what is new, hot topics, updates on projects, newsy tidbits, etc. We are starting this series of articles with California. The Code Council has a "new" Government Relations manager in California. His name is Larry Brugger and he has joined Lee Clifton, Director of PMG Resources and Government Relations Manager, to support the California Chapters and Members. Larry is a familiar face in the code enforcement community. His past employment includes working for the city of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. Larry is a civil engineer, a structural engineer and a certified building official. Combining his expertise with Lee Clifton's we think we have an "A" Team to support our 28 Chapters in California. California, as the most populous U.S. state, houses the most ICC Chapters. Based on estimates and the studies by the United States Census Bureau, the 2013 California population was estimated at 38,041,430; east to west, California is approximately 560 miles across, and from north to south, the state is about 1,040 miles long, making for a massive expanse to cover. The California Government Relations Team has as a goal to attend a minimum of two meetings a year for each Chapter and, as with all GR representatives, the team will provide support for the local ICC Board member at chapter functions. Lee and Larry have created a new document geared to our Members in California called "California Code Corner" that will be provided to each chapter on a monthly basis accompanied by the Monthly Chapter Update Report. We hope this will be a useful resource to the code enforcement community as well as to other code users. The GR representatives are the conduit for providing important information to support its membership. Since 2013, Lee and Larry have visited or have scheduled to visit the following chapters: California Building Inspection Group, California Building Officials Association, Central Coast, Central Coast Fire Prevention Association, Citrus Belt Chapter, Coachella Valley, County Building Official Association of California, East Bay, Foothill, High Country, High Desert, Laney College, Los Angeles Basin, Monterey Bay, Napa/Solano, Northern California Fire Prevention Officers Association, Orange Empire, Peninsula, Redwood Empire Association, Sacramento Valley Association of Building Officials, San Joaquin Valley, San Diego Area, San Diego County Fire Prevention Officers Association, San Mateo-Santa Clara Fire Service Chapter, Shasta Cascade, Southern California Fire Prevention Association, Ventura, and Yosemite. Managing activities in Sacramento, monitoring the Legislature and working with the State agencies are Sara Yerkes and Chris Ochoa. Sara and Chris work closely with our Sacramento-based coalition of stakeholders that includes California Building Industry Association (CBIA), California American Institute of Architects (AIA), Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC), California Building Officials (CALBO), Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). We value our Members and stakeholders and are proud to serve you. If there is a specific topic you want Government Relations to write up, please let Sara Yerkes know at syerkes@iccsafe.org. |
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 Nearly 100 ASSE and ASPE Members Brave Cold Weather for Annual Joint MeetingThe Eastern Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) and Michigan Chapter of the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) held their annual joint meeting and awards banquet on February 8 in Southfield, Mich., outside of Detroit. International Code Council Director of PMG Activities Shawn Martin provided the keynote address. Despite snowy and cold weather, nearly 100 members and spouses attended to recognize award recipients. In his keynote address, Martin recognized the chapters for their many contributions to building safety, many of which are unseen and often unrecognized. He called on the group to redouble and refocus their efforts to meet the building safety challenges of the 21st century. "It's not enough to create the best codes and standards for building safety," Martin stated, "we must ensure they are put to good use." He described the Coalition for Current Safety Codes, co-founded by ICC and NFPA, and dedicated to promoting the use of the latest building safety codes in jurisdictions throughout the country. The coalition currently has 500 members, including ASPE. Martin praised Michigan's dedication to current safety codes, and its efforts to consistently, and regularly update their codes. He noted that Michigan has implemented an updated version of its mechanical code based on the 2012 International Mechanical Code, and that an update of the plumbing code using the 2012 International Plumbing Code was underway. Martin concluded by again calling on the group to keep up its efforts to promote safety in the built environment. "Let's remember who our customers are — codes are not for contractors, engineers or even building officials — they are for our communities and our citizens. Let's continue to work together to keep our communities safe." A number of individuals were recognized by the chapters, including: • Larry D'Ascenzo (L. Glen Shields Award to Date Michigan chapter ASSE's Highest Award) Guardian Plumbing & Heating • Joe Madziar (Albert Cohen Award for Inspector of the Year) Chief of the Plumbing Division the State of Michigan • Jay Hultz (the Malcolm Wallace Award for the Manufacturer Rep of the Year) Progressive Plumbing Supply • William Grayzar CPD (John E. Matthews Award to the Engineer of the Year) • Sean Cleary IAPMO (Larry Burkheiser Backflow Award) • Ronald L. George CPD received Northern Ohio's ASSE's highest Chapter Award) The chapter held a raffle to benefit the John E. Matthews Scholarship Fund. Michael McMurphy, a student pursuing a Masters of Architectural Engineering degree at Lawrence Technological University, received a $1,000 scholarship award toward his education. Finally, Kenneth Kerr, ASSE International Past President, installed the new chapter leaders, John Nussbaum, Paul Baker, Dennis Matthews, Esteban Cabello and Ron George. |
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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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| For decades, the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) has been the industry leader in performing technical evaluations for code compliance, providing regulators and construction professionals with clear evidence that products comply with codes and standards. Having completed hundreds of evaluations of building products, components, methods and materials, ICC-ES has a proven track record of excellence in product evaluations. This record extends to reports regarding sustainability under standards such as the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) and other green rating systems. |
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The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), a recognized Certification Body for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR program, has issued EPA certification supplements to The Dow Chemical Company (ESR-3228) and Johns Manville (ESR-3398). Products receiving the EPA certification are The Dow Chemical Company's FROTH-PAK Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation and Johns Manville AP Foil-Faced Sheathing. |
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Through cooperation between International Code Council Government Relations and the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, ICC Senior Staff Engineer Steve Ikkanda and ICC-ES Staff Engineer Ping Cheng attended the Northridge 20 Symposium January 16-17 at the University of California, Los Angeles. The symposium was held on the 20th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake that caused many deaths, thousands of injuries and billions of dollars in damage. More than 600 people attended. The plenary speakers included Pete Wilson, former Governor of California from 1991 to 1999; James Lee Witt, former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director and International Code Council Chief Executive Officer; and many other seismology experts. Continue reading story |
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| In Other ICC-ES News |
| Learn More about the ICC-ES Building Product Listing Program |
| Video: How to Read ICC-ES Evaluation Reports |
| Earn CEUs — Attend the Free ICC-ES Webinar: Approving or Selecting Building Products with Confidence |
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| The International Accreditation Service (IAS) provides objective evidence that an organization operates at the highest level of ethical, legal and technical standards. IAS is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation that has been providing accreditation services since 1975. IAS accredits a wide range of companies and organizations, including governmental entities, commercial businesses and professional associations. IAS accreditation programs are based on recognized national and international standards that ensure domestic and/or global acceptance of its accreditations. |
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IAS Offers Inspection Agency, Testing & Calibration Laboratory Training
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Special Inspection Agency Training in New York City