Code Council responds to Oakland tragedy.

The International Code Council expresses its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones who suffered losses at the Ghost Ship artist venue in Oakland, Calif. This tragedy highlights the importance of adopting current building, electrical and life safety codes. Adopting and enforcing the latest codes and standards is the most efficient and effective method of creating safe buildings and communities. Cities, counties and states should review their safety codes to verify they meet the latest standards, and ensure enforcement of the codes by supporting the important responsibility of their code and fire officials.

Online Governmental Consensus Vote sees significant increase in participation.

In order to accommodate a significant increase in participation, the International Code Council's 2016 Online Governmental Consensus Vote (OGCV) for the Group B International Codes was extended an extra week and concluded on Nov. 27. The demand resulted in more than 162,000 votes cast by eligible ICC Voting Members during the three-week period. There were a total of 577 code change proposals considered in the OGCV, with the maximum number of votes cast on a single proposal 780 and the minimum number of votes 158. The 2016 OGCV resulted in significant increases in participation over the past two code development cycles when it debuted with ICC's cloud-based system of code development cdpACCESS.

Mark Johnson, ICC Executive Vice President (left) and Director of Business Development; GSO Secretary-General Nabil Amin Molla (right).

ICC and GSO sign historic agreement to advance building safety, innovation and energy efficiency in the Gulf countries.

The International Code Council signed a historic agreement supporting The Standardization Organization for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GSO) efforts to develop a unified Gulf Building Code for the region. The Gulf Code will be based on the Saudi Building Code, which will incorporate the latest provisions from the 2015 International Codes. This new Gulf Building Code will support the harmonization of building practices, enhance safety and facilitate commerce in the region. Once implemented, the Gulf Code will reflect the latest advances in building safety, affordability and sustainability and be a driving force for innovation and safety advances in building design and construction.

Successful Journey to Leadership program coming to ICC Chapters.

Through funding provided by the Ron Burton Golf Tournament and the Target Corporation, the Code Council's Training and Education Department has raised $61,900 to date and expanded on the Journey to Leadership training initiative that debuted at ICC's 2015 Annual Conference in Long Beach, Calif. Covering such subjects as mentoring, professional development, networking and the cultivation of the next generation of code officials, an enhanced version of the Journey to Leadership program is being made available on DVD for complimentary distribution to each ICC Chapter to further develop the skills of Chapter leaders as well as cultivate the next generation of leaders.

Pictured (left-right): International Code Council Executive Vice President Michael Gardner, SEAOSC President Jeff Ellis, and Code Council Government Relations Manager Susan Dowty.

Code Council sponsors SEAOSC Summit.

The International Code Council was a primary event sponsor and participant at the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (SEAOSC) Sixth Annual Strengthening Our Cities Summit in Los Angeles, Calif. Presentations and panel discussions during the two-day event focused on the general theme of seismic resilience. Highlights included keynote presentations by Dr. Steven McCabe of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and California 46th District Assembly member Adrin Nazarian. Code Council Government Relations Manager Susan Dowty, S.E., introduced Dr. McCabe and was a participant in a panel discussion on Pushing for Resilience: How Can You Help. The event also featured a presentation on the 2016 Safer Cities Survey by Dr. Lucy Jones of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society.

ICC's SWCC featured in new wind power book.

Paul Gipe's new wind power book, "Wind Energy for the Rest of Us" includes a section on small wind turbine certification and features the Small Wind Certification Council, a recent addition to the ICC Family of Companies. In May, the Small Wind Certification Council joined the part of the ICC group that includes the Solar Rating Certification Corporation. The Small Wind Certification Council was established in 2009 to ensure that small and medium wind turbines conform to industry standards. Its work complements that of the Code Council in providing research, publications and product certifications to the energy industry.

Virginia DHCD recognized by Senator Warner for cdpVA.

United States Senator Mark Robert Warner (D-VA) congratulated the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) on receiving the 2016 Governor's Technology Award in the IT to Efficiency Driver — Government to Business category for its Code Development Process for Virginia (cdpVA). The process — based on the Code Council's cloud-based code development system cdpACCESS — provides a single source for building, fire and other related construction codes and regulatory documents, improving government service delivery and efficiency.

Significant Changes in the 2015 International Building Code.

A major component of the life-safety system for an atrium is the required smoke control system. The control of any smoke that may be present in the atrium is important in maintaining a tenable environment for those occupants who may enter the atrium during means-of-egress travel. An exception had previously eliminated the requirement for smoke control in those atriums that connect only two stories. The exception has now been modified in a manner where it no longer applies to atriums in Group I-2 occupancies, as well as those Group I-1 occupancies classified as Condition 2.

Pictured, International Code Council State and Local Government Relations Vice President Dorothy Harris and Government Relations Regional Manager William Nash present NEBOEA Chairman Bill Hanley with a 50th Anniversary plaque from the Code Council, signed by Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims and Board of Directors Immediate Past President Alex Olszowy III.

NEBOEA celebrates 50th Annual Conference.

The New England Building Officials Education Association (NEBOEA) celebrated its 50th Annual Conference at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. More than 275 code officials from New England attended the three-day conference. A non-profit organization established in 1966 with the goal of providing training and continuing education courses for building officials throughout New England, NEBOEA is comprised of members from the Maine Building Official and Inspectors Association, New Hampshire Building Officials Association, Vermont Building Officials, Massachusetts Building Commissioners and Inspectors Association, Connecticut Building Officials Association and the Rhode Island Building Officials Association.

A call to all ICC Chapters.

The Ohio Building Officials Association is excited to host a Welcome Event in Columbus, Ohio, for the 2017 International Code Council Annual Business Meeting and Conference. Many of you have participated in this worthwhile event, and understand the tremendous resources it consumes to help showcase your state. As fellow ICC Chapters, help us make the 2017 Welcome Event enjoyable for everyone. Your generous donation to the Pay It Forward campaign will be most helpful. Any contribution would be greatly appreciated.

Join IAS for ISO/IEC 17020 training in Los Angeles.

The International Accreditation Service (IAS) is presenting ISO/IEC Standard 17020 training from Dec. 15-16 in the Los Angeles area that will provide an introduction and refresher to the ISO/IEC 17020 standard, management system requirements, IAS assessment process, and auditing techniques. This training will help you understand what information a quality management system should contain and how to keep your documents and quality manual up-to-date.

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