Klein joins list of distinguished speakers for ICC's Annual Conference and Expo.

Gabe Klein, the former transportation director for the city of Chicago and for the District of Columbia, and author of Start-Up City: Inspiring Private and Public Entrepreneurship, Getting Projects Done, and Having Fun will keynote the Opening Session of the International Code Councils 2016 Annual Conference and Building Safety & Design Expo at the Kansas City Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Pictured (left-right): ICC-ES Vice President of External Relations and Client Services William Gould; Inspector Supervisor Norm Carlson, Fairfax County, Va.; ICC Executive Vice President of Compliance Programs Michael Gardner; and ICC Board of Directors Immediate Past President Guy Tomberlin, CBO, Fairfax County, Va.

ICC-ES educational training held in three jurisdictions.

International Code Council Executive Vice President of Compliance Programs Michael Gardner and ICC-ES Vice President of External Relations and Client Services William Gould traveled to Fairfax County, Va., Alexandria, Va., and the District of Columbia on Aug. 4 to teach seminars on the evaluation report and listing creation process, the importance of the ICC-ES continuous compliance concept, and how the information in an evaluation report or a listing should be read and interpreted. With support from Justin Wiley and Bryan Soukup of the ICC Government Relations Department, the three sessions, combined, reached nearly 90 employees in various code enforcement disciplines, including plan review and inspection. The presentations are part of an overall undertaking to increase awareness of the ICC-ES role in product evaluation within the enforcement community. A part of the campaign is an educational program that can be presented to a chapter by a regional Government Relations representative. For additional information on the program or to discuss presentation logistics, contact Justin Wiley.

Major storms now expected in NOAA forecast.

In its updated 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calls for a higher likelihood of a near-normal or above-normal season, and decreases the chance of a below-normal season to only 15 percent, from the initial outlook issued in May. The season is still expected to be the most active since 2012. Forecasters now expect a 70-percent chance of 12-17 named storms, of which 5-8 are expected to become hurricanes, including 2-4 major hurricanes.

Two bills to watch on Capitol Hill.

Election season may be in full swing and the legislative session may be winding down, but that doesn't mean that the Government Relations staff in Washington, D.C., is kicking back their heels. There's still a number of bills that the federal team is tracking that could have a big impact on building codes.

International Code Council Board of Directors Member Donny Phipps, Government Relations Senior Vice President Sara Yerkes and Mike Wich attended the 2016 National Association of Home Builders Midyear Board of Directors Committee Meetings in Miami, Fla. The Code Council delegation provided reports to the Construction, Codes and Standards Committee, chaired by Phil Hoffman from La Place, La.

The code essentials of building access.

Ensuring that fire fighters can quickly access the facility completes one step in the response. To complete the response, access must be gained into the building. The International Fire Code requires that exterior doors or openings required by the International Building Code be maintained accessible for use by emergency responders.

Influence the direction the FSMC takes for the future.

The Fire Service Membership Council (FSMC) invites you to consider applying for one of the seats on the Governing Committee. The entire FSMC plays an important part in ICC as an advocate for concerns and issues that are of particular interest to the fire service; to assist ICC in increasing the participation in the ICC code development process; and to advise ICC on programs and policies, legislative matters, code adoption issues, and such other matters as the Council deems appropriate.

ICC releases full-color, illustrated guides to new California Codes.

California code users can get up to speed more easily with the Significant Changes to 2016 California Codes. Available for the 2016 California Building, Residential and Fire Codes, each guide focuses on the most important changes between the 2013 and 2016 editions. These easy-to-use transition tools will help readers gain a clear knowledge of each code, how it has been revised, and the rationale behind the changes.

What we're reading, following and covering.

There's a lot happening — domestically and globally — in building safety, fire prevention, sustainability and resiliency right now. Our aim is to provide busy professionals like you with a weekly run-down of the most compelling industry news stories concerning the safety, science and performance of the built environment. We do the reading for you and break down the latest news and information into an easy-to-digest format with fresh insight.

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