IAS eNews

Organizations, Jurisdictions Recognized with IAS Awards at ICC Annual Conference

Code officials from across the nation recognized the Inspection and Code Enforcement Department of Beaufort County, South Carolina, the Development Services Department of San Antonio, Texas, and Bureau Veritas North America Inc. for achieving IAS accreditation; and the Center for Public Safety Excellence for its contribution to the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence


CPSE Executive Director Paul Brooks (center) accepts the plaque from IAS President Chuck Ramani (right) and International Code Council Board Immediate Past President Ron Lynn.

The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) was recognized by the International Accreditation Service (IAS) during the International Code Council 2010 Annual Conference Awards Luncheon for its invaluable contribution to the development of the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program.

Based on the draft Accreditation Criteria for Fire Prevention and Life Safety Departments AC426, accreditation by IAS will convey formal recognition to fire prevention and life safety departments that have demonstrated technical competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention, life safety programs and other functions of fire marshals' offices that benefit the communities they serve.

Code Council CEO Rick Weiland recognized CPSE's commitment to develop the IAS Fire Prevention and Life Safety Department Accreditation Program, stating, "This new accreditation program will formally recognize the fire prevention and life safety departments that have demonstrated technical competence to administer an effective system of code enforcement, fire prevention and life safety."

The accreditation program is currently in the alpha testing stage, with the first fire and life safety department going through the evaluation process. The draft accreditation criteria used to evaluate departments has been developed with input from the fire community, stakeholders, and the IAS Technical Advisory Council. Final approval of the draft criteria by the IAS Accreditation Committee is expected in late 2010. IAS is accepting applications for accreditation under the draft criteria and will work with applicants as the criteria evolve or further changes are proposed. The CPSE is developing training materials and will be conducting workshops for departments interested in learning about the criteria for becoming accredited.

Bureau Veritas North America Inc., Central Region Operations


Bureau Veritas COO Isam Hasenin (second from left) accepts the plaque from IAS President Chuck Ramani (second from right).

Bureau Veritas North America Inc., Central Region Operations was recognized as the first IAS-accredited, third-party building department service provider.

The Bureau Veritas office in Plano, Texas is the first company to achieve accreditation under the International Accreditation Service (IAS) Third-Party Permitting, Plan Review and Inspection Service Providers Accreditation Program (AC 402). The IAS accreditation program was developed to verify the competence of companies that provide services for building departments. "Building departments often call on third-party companies to assist with inspections, plan reviews and permitting. The accreditation program provides building officials assurance that the service providers they select are operating at the highest standards using industry best practices," said IAS Program Manager Rick Archer.

Bureau Veritas Vice President Van Tran said, "The accreditation demonstrates to our current and future clients that we have processes in place to ensure consistency in how we perform plan reviews, inspections and administrative actions. Through the periodic evaluation by IAS, it also reinforces our business values of customer focus, sharing collective knowledge and constant learning, transparency, teamwork and solidarity."

Building departments can use the IAS program to verify that the companies they hire are qualified to provide building safety services for the jurisdiction. For Bureau Veritas, accreditation is a way to provide independent verification of its established quality procedures and best practices that have been an integral part of the company since its founding in 1828. Port San Antonio Planning Services Vice President Albert Ray III said, "Their achievement of this new IAS accreditation is a testament to their competence and commitment within their chosen industry."

To achieve IAS accreditation, IAS evaluators assessed the Bureau Veritas Plano office across several distinct categories, including code administration, construction codes, plan review processes, professional credentials and licensing, and inspection procedures. In addition, IAS also assessed critical elements of the services provided to jurisdictions such as contract details, operational procedures and plans, and fiscal year budgets.

AC 402 requires accredited third-party service providers to submit annual reports addressing key elements of the criteria as well as changes in key staff, facilities or operating procedures or any problems that could potentially affect the entity’s accredited status. At the end of the three-year term commencing from the initial date of accreditation, the accredited agency will be subject to full on-site reevaluation by IAS.

Read more on the IAS Accreditation Program for Third-party Permitting, Plan Review and Inspection Service Providers.

City of San Antonio Development Services Department


Development Services Department Director Rodrick Sanchez (left) accepts the plaque from IAS President Chuck Ramani.

The City of San Antonio Development Services Department was recognized for achieving IAS Building Department Accreditation. The IAS accreditation program provides a trusted, independent assessment and verification that the department is operating at the highest legal, ethical and technical standards.

"I am very proud of the work we have done over the past five years to improve the business practices at Development Services. Receiving this accreditation highlights the City's commitment to make San Antonio a great city to expand or relocate your business," said San Antonio City Manager Sheryl Sculley.

The City of San Antonio Development Services Department provides services for a population of 1,328,984 and covers a geographic area of approximately 647 square miles. In 2009, the department issued a total of 65,491 permits and conducted 117,545 inspections. Located in south-central Texas, San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States.

In recognition of the accreditation, IAS President Chuck Ramani presented a plaque to San Antonio Director of Development Services Roderick Sanchez on October 27 at the International Code Council Annual Conference Awards Luncheon, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ramani said, "Earning Building Department Accreditation is a great achievement and demonstrates the City of San Antonio's commitment to public safety. It is also a testament to the city's drive to provide a high level of service in an efficient and measurable manner."

Sanchez commented, "San Antonio's goal is to have one of the best development processes in the nation. Our partnership with IAS helped identify areas where we could make improvements to better serve our customers while building a safer San Antonio."

The IAS Building Department Accreditation Program is based on the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Building Departments/Code Enforcement Agencies (AC251) and the International Code Council's (ICC) International Building Code. San Antonio was assessed across 12 distinct categories of accreditation criteria, including basic jurisdictional information, department staff, permitting, budget, construction codes, plan reviews, professional credentials/licenses, inspections, certificates of occupancy, on-site evaluations, annual reports, and complaints/appeals. IAS evaluators assessed work activities in the department's offices; reviewed documents and policies; and interviewed department customers, staff and city officials. The IAS on-site teams also visited construction sites to appraise the performance of the city's inspection process. IAS conducted a pre-evaluation review in May 2010 and a full on-site evaluation in June 2010. The department received accreditation on October 21.

Beaufort County Inspection and Code Enforcement Department


Beaufort County Building Codes Director Arthur Cummings (left) accepts the plaque from IAS President Chuck Ramani.

The Beaufort County Inspection and Code Enforcement Department is the first building department in South Carolina to achieve IAS Building Department Accreditation. The accreditation is based on the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Building Departments/Code Enforcement Agencies (AC251). The accreditation verifies that the Beaufort County Inspection and Code Enforcement Department is operating at the highest legal, ethical and technical standards.

Located in the southeastern corner of South Carolina, Beaufort County is the state's fastest growing community based on population and building permits issued. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county grew over 24 percent from 2000 to 2008. It issued 1,375 building permits in 2008 and 1,424 in 2009 with a small but highly efficient staff of eighteen people. Added to this rapid growth, the county is in the midst of adopting the 2009 International Building Codes.

Arthur Cummings, Building Codes Director for Beaufort County, says, "We are especially proud to be the first South Carolina building inspection department to earn this achievement. Accreditation is the benchmark of excellence and provides our residents and builders a high level of confidence in our ability to carry out our mission at the highest level of public service. The process has helped us become more efficient, demand more of ourselves and to always seek new ways to improve the delivery of our service."

Modeled on the international peer review process, AC251 begins with the completion of a comprehensive information questionnaire followed by an on-site evaluation. The questionnaire requires full disclosure in a report by the department on details about the size of the jurisdiction as well as its internal practices for everything from plan reviews and permits to inspections and implementation of its adopted construction codes. The report outlines basic jurisdictional information and assesses processes related to permitting, budget, construction codes, plan reviews, professional credentials, licenses, inspections, certificates of occupancy, on-site evaluations, annual reports, service goals, complaints and appeals.

Beaufort County submitted the report to the IAS Building Department Accreditation (BDA) peer evaluation team for review and consideration prior to an on-site evaluation. IAS BDA teams comprise expert peer evaluators who have worked for and studied building departments across the country using IAS’s compilation of best practices. Subsequently, the IAS evaluation team conducted a visit to assess the department's compliance with industry best practices related to building department operations.

The County Inspection and Code Enforcement Department received IAS Building Department Accreditation on March 19, 2010.