What we're reading, following & covering

Making it their business to plan for a disaster

Oct. 11 | Chicago Tribune

Harvey, Irma and Maria have taught small business owners that disaster planning is more than just evacuating and trying to mitigate physical damage — it's also about the "what ifs." Many realized they hadn't done the right kind of preparation, including buying flood insurance. Some say they want to have their own generators. read more>>>

Disaster Plan: Have the essentials at hand to help get you through the storm

Oc. 9 | Chicago Tribune

My family survived Hurricane Irma, then Maria on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Then, I was sitting on my couch when a small earthquake struck in Los Angeles. I likely am not the only one with disaster prep on my mind. If you want to be prepared, there are some key things you should have in a bag that you can grab when you need to get out of the house quickly. read more>>>

"We are going to stay": Northern California residents vow to stay put even as wildfires worsen housing crunch

Oct. 17 | The Washington Post

For the five years that Horacio Hernandez and Laura Gomez rented a two-bedroom home in this city's Coffey Park neighborhood, they'd felt reassured by the fact that there was a fire hydrant on their corner and a fire station less than a mile away. read more>>>

Senators seek the cost of not addressing America's affordable housing problems

Oct. 12 | Builder

A bipartisan group of senators has asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to figure out where the government is letting down the American people in the housing market, reports HousingWire staffer Brena Swanson. The senators are requesting the GAO, a nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, to assess how much it would cost taxpayers to fix affordable housing in the U.S. read more>>>

LPS would fund safe rooms

Oct. 15 | The Lawton Constitution

Lawton Public Schools plans to designate $14.5 million from its ad valorem bond issue to protect eight elementary schools from tornadoes. The funding will be allocated for safe room/storm shelters, or designated space to protect students, faculty and staff in schools located throughout the city. read more>>>

City takes tougher stance on property violations

Oct. 18 | The Banner Press

The onset of cool fall weather means the end of lawn mowing season – for residents and for city employees. Next spring, the City Council hopes that new rules enacted this month will get city employees out of the business of mowing overgrown private lawns for good. The changes are also intended to help the city in its years-long quest to address deteriorating vacant houses and other nuisance property issues. read more>>>

The race to codify resilience design

Oct. 16 | Building Design Construction

Last November, the International Code Council launched the Alliance for National & Community Resilience for the purpose of developing a whole community benchmark rating system by 2018. The alliance's members include such heavy hitters as Target and Kaiser Permanente. read more>>>

New website lets you monitor earthquakes in Texas

Oct. 18 | KUT 90.5

A major earthquake-monitoring network is up and running across Texas. Thanks to an interactive website hosted by TexNet, you can now see where quakes are happening and learn about them in real time. The tool could be useful for the growing number of people who've felt earthquakes here. read more>>>

The power of product certification

Oct. 13 | Doors & Windows Market Magazine

Attention, door manufacturers: Product certification isn't just something you should do to meet increasingly stringent codes. It's also a great way to ensure that your doors stand out in a crowded, competitive market. That was the key takeaway from an educational session held during the World Millwork Alliance's (WMA) annual convention and trade show in Charlotte, N.C., this week. read more>>>

Selecting the proper inverter for emergency lighting systems

Oct. 18 | FacilitiesNet

In the event of a building-wide power outage, electrical engineers and contractors have several options when it comes to powering emergency lighting systems mandated by the NFPA and International Building Code. read more>>>

Elevating safely: Interfacing fire alarm systems with elevators

Oct. 19 | Electrical Contractor Integrated Systems Contractor

As I teach fire alarm seminars around the country, one of the greatest problem areas brought up is interfacing fire alarm systems with elevators. Elevator and fire inspectors do not enforce the same codes, and therein lies the problem. NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, has expanded requirements for elevators in the last couple of editions, and there will be even more in the 2019 edition. read more>>>

Smoke vents enhance safety at rocket plant

Oct. 17 | Commercial Construction & Renovations

Smoke vents are a critical piece of roofing equipment for nearly every manufacturing and commercial facility. Besides providing daylighting, vents also allow smoke, heat and hot gasses to escape, giving workers a visible route for a safe and swift exit in the event of a fire. read more>>>

Water department saves city money on project

Oct. 19 | The Moulton Advertiser

Members were appointed to the Board of Zoning & Adjustment, a report was given on the water treatment plant project, and Jacks' restaurant was denied sales tax abatement at the Moulton City Council meeting on Monday. read more>>>

Athena Sustainable Materials Institute celebrates 20 years of innovation in green building sector

Oct. 16 | The CW

The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and with a US affiliate in Pennsylvania, is a leading pioneer in the Green Building Sector and proud to have been on the forefront of sustainability metrics for two decades. read more>>>

Fire prevention hot on minds for fire prevention week

Oct. 16 | The Tribune

Fire Prevention Week took firefighters across the nation to various schools and other locations, and Elkin, and surrounding departments are doing their part as well, starting the week with an open house at Elkin Fire Department. read more>>>

You can now order a shipping container tiny house on Amazon

Oct. 19 | TVN

It was only a matter of time, I guess. America's favorite shopping channel, the internet, has pushed Amazon's reach far from its roots selling books, and although the variety of items currently sold through the Amazon marketplace sometimes surprises me, I took the news of this next listing in stride. read more>>>