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By now we have all seen the devastation of the tornadoes that ripped through parts of Georgia and Mississippi — leaving at least 20 people dead and destroying homes, businesses and communities — and the catastrophic flooding and mudslides in California. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected, as well as the emergency personnel working in dangerous conditions to save and protect people, and those code officials engaged on the front lines providing damage assessment to communities fighting to recover from these disasters.

Join the challenge of preparing & inspiring our industry's future leaders.

Continuing its outreach to the next generation of code officials — supporting its Safety 2.0 Building Careers for Today's Generation intiative — the International Code Council designated week one of Building Safety Month 2017 to focus on Mentoring the Next Generation of Building Professionals. The National Multifamily Housing Council — an ICC Founding Strategic Partner — has seized upon the opportunity to support the leaders who will shape tomorrow by sponsoring Building Safety Month's first week.

To discover how you can support Building Safety Month and help showcase the next generation through corporate sponsorship, please contact ICC Governent Relations Senior Vice President Sara Yerkes.

New draft standard for solar pool heating systems open for first public comment.

The International Code Council, Solar Rating and Certification Corporation and the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals have teamed up to develop a minimum standard for solar pool and spa heating and cooling systems. The first draft resulting from this effort has been released for public comment through Feb. 6.

The new standard — BSR/ICC 902/APSP/SRCC 400-201X Pool Solar and Spa Heating and Cooling Standard — builds upon the ICC 900/SRCC 300 Solar Thermal System Standard, which addresses solar thermal systems providing energy for solar domestic water heating and space heating, but does not specifically address the unique considerations of solar pool and spa heating applications.

MiTek joins ICC-ES' new Affiliate Program.

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) welcomed MiTek as the first major client to the ICC-ES Affiliate Program, which supports ICC-ES' clients by increasing the visibility and awareness of their products in the built industry through a number of additional marketing support initiatives.

Significant changes to the 2015 International Building Code.

Cross-laminated timber has been used extensively in Europe for the last two decades as large-section structural timber, and this engineered wood product is now defined in the code. Cross-laminated timber is now permitted within the exterior walls of Type IV buildings where protected by one of three specified materials.

Mandatory storm shelters for mobile homes?

According to a U.S. Census ranking, four out of five of the top states with the highest percentage of mobile homes are in the southeast, and of those states the frequency of tornadoes is very high. The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore reports on the debate if all mobile home communities should have a storm shelter.

Discover the latest on seismic safety.

Federal agencies involved with new, existing or leased Federal buildings will be interested in a recently approved valuable resource, the Implementation Guidelines for Executive Order 13717. Referred to as RP 9, this document provides specific guidance about the roles and responsibilities of the agencies in an easy-to-follow, section-by-section with commentary format. As noted in the guidelines, each affected Federal agency is given the responsibility for developing and implementing its own seismic safety measures to fulfill the requirements of EO 13717, which references the 2015 editions of the International Building, Residential and Existing Building Codes.

Soar to the top of your career as a permit technician.

Take the next step in your career as a permit technician at ICC's Permit Technician Institute, Feb. 27-28 in Atlanta. Gain insight from recognized leaders in code administration with decades of experience in the industry and further develop your customer relations skills and techniques. This institute will familiarize you with the 2015 International Residential Code and 2015 International Building Code and provide direct instruction alongside collaborative discussions with peers. Register today to earn 1.2 CEUs and go in depth into topics that include inspection process, legal, code language and code enforcement.

Build a tailored week of training at EduCode 2017.

Whatever training you need, EduCode 2017, March 20-24 in Las Vegas, has you covered. Choose from 91 sessions on topics such as building plan review, plumbing and mechanical, and leadership and management. EduCode is your opportunity to expand your skills, and earn or maintain an ICC certification.

Number of ICC Master Code Professionals continues to grow.

The achievement of the Master Code Professional designation from the International Code Council is the highest level of ICC certification and has become the gold standard for demonstrating proficiency in the building and fire safety profession. Currently, there are more than 900 Master Code Professionals worldwide, and their achievements are a benefit to the code enforcement profession, as well as their communities.

2017 ICC Chapter meetings & events.

OBOA & COCOA issue call for 2017 Welcome Event
Yosemite Chapter ICC Installation
ICC San Diego Area Chapter Installation
East Bay Chapter of ICC Annual Banquet & Installation

What we're reading, following & 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.

Interesting global construction trivia.

Did you know?
A Chinese company built a 30-floor hotel in just 15 days. The building was erected from prefabricated modules mounted on a steel structure, with diagonal steel bracing.

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