Code Council applauds Senate's passage of water bill.

The International Code Council Family of Companies (ICC) is applauding the Senate's passage of a wide-ranging bill that will include $170 million to address lead in Flint, Michigan's drinking water and $558 million to provide relief to drought-stricken California. The bill was signed into law by President Obama shortly after its approval.

"The Senate's approval of this legislation is welcomed news for water safety and shortage issues," said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. "The Code Council is continuing its decades-long work with our member jurisdictions and industry partners to provide a built environment that encourages safer and smarter water use through conservation and efficiency."

Don't miss this yearly event.

EduCode 2017, March 20-24, is geared for building safety and code compliance professionals. All sessions are approved through the ICC Preferred Provider Program and cover topics that include architectural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, structural, fire protection, code enforcement and leadership. Register by Feb. 20 for the best course selection and early-bird rates.

Significant changes to the International Fire Code.

An addition has been made to Section 312.3 (Vehicle Impact Protection) of the 2015 International Fire Code that authorizes the code official to approve barriers other than posts. The 2012 language is a carryover from the merger of the three legacy codes. The initial intent of the code was to provide prescriptive design criteria in Section 312.2 and performance-based criteria in Section 312.3, but it did not provide for a true performance-based alternative since it addressed a force, but not an impact velocity. The change for the 2015 International Fire Code provides a true performance-based option. The code official now has the ability to approve a barrier based on its ability to resist, deflect or visually deter vehicular impact.

Look for ICC-ES Evaluation Reports to ensure proof of compliance to ICC 500-2014.

ICC Evaluation Service evaluates the design and construction criteria of storm shelters for high wind, hurricane and tornado requirements required by ICC-500-2014: ICC/NSSA Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters; FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room for Your Home or Small Business; and FEMA P-361, Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes: Guidance for Community and Residential Safe Rooms.

Pictured (left-right): International Code Council Board of Directors member Stuart Tom; San Joaquin Valley Chapter Treasurer Robina Wright, Education Chair Mark Meyers, Secretary Phillip Henry, Vice President Scott Martin, President Gabriella Scott, and Past President Ron Beehler.

San Joaquin Valley Chapter installs 2017 officers at Annual Banquet.

The San Joaquin Valley Chapter held its Annual Banquet and installation of officers Dec. 3 at the Cattlemens Restaurant in Selma, Calif. International Code Council Board of Directors member Stuart Tom performed the installation of Chapter President Gabriella Scott, Vice President Scott Martin, Secretary Phillip Henry, Treasurer Robina Wright, Education Chair Mark Meyers and Past President Ron Beehler for 2017. Outgoing Past President Christine Strebel was acknowledged for her years of service, and was further acknowledged as the Chapter's first female president.

The Chapter concluded its busiest year, and experienced a significant increase in monthly meeting attendance. Approximately 60 people attended the annual banquet, and shared shared their appreciation for the efforts made by the outgoing board for making the monthly meetings more relevant this past year. Outgoing President Ron Beehler expanded his monthly "Code Quiz", which presented a monthly challenge for meeting attendees to test their own knowledge of common code issues. The Code Quiz has become quite popular, and is often taken back to their own jurisdictions and used as a training opportunity. During the past year, Beehler scheduled a robust lineup of monthly speakers, which presented the membership with numerous topics of daily interest.

Overview of new classes of refrigerants offered at ASHRAE 2017 winter conference.

More than 160 refrigerants are maintained under ASHRAE's refrigerant classification standard, and that list continues to grow as the industry's need for new refrigerants increases. A review of the new classes of lower global-warming potential refrigerants within the context of legacy refrigerants and the forces that drive the development of new refrigerants is the focus of a new educational course from ASHRAE being introduced at the ASHRAE 2017 Winter Conference, Jan. 28-Feb. 1, in Las Vegas.

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