What we're reading, following & covering

Venezuela fire: 68 die in Carabobo police station cells

March 29|BBC News

A fire at a police station in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, in Carabobo state, has left 68 people dead, government officials say. The blaze reportedly started after prisoners set fire to mattresses in an attempt to break out on Wednesday. Police used tear gas to disperse relatives who surrounded the station after news of the fire broke. Chief state prosecutor Tarek Saab said an investigation into what had happened would begin immediately. Read more.

Vacation Rental Safety Tips are a Must When You Are Planning a Trip; Here Is What Experts Suggest You Look For

March 29|Romper

What's the first thing you do when you arrive at your vacation rental? Pick out the best bedroom? Check out the hot tub? What about making safety checks, for fire extinguishers and emergency exits? When you rent a home through a site like VRBO or Airbnb, it's important to remember that you're not booking a room in a hotel, with its cleaning schedule and clockwork fire drills. In fact, you're renting from an individual who may or may not have safe, functional, up-to-code appliances, let alone batteries in the smoke detector, which is why you need vacation rental safety tips from experts, no matter where your travels take you. Read more.

Should Code Enforcement Officers Carry Guns?

March 28|Code Watcher

Jimmie T. Smith, a councillor from Citrus County, (a part recently described as Floridas Most Unhealthy County, says the world is dangerous, and code enforcement officers sometimes encounter confrontational situations, suggesting that they may need to be armed. County Commissioner Jimmie T. Smith thinks any county employee who has a valid and up-to-date concealed weapon permit ought to be able to carry a gun while on duty. Except, he said, if that employee is working in the courthouse or at a school. Read more.

Washington state to include mass timber in building codes

March 28|Construction Dive

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a law requiring the states building code council to begin developing rules for the use of mass timber commercial and residential construction, according to The Architect Newspaper. The measure paves the way for state and local building departments to start including mass timber in their building codes. As part of its initial development, the new mandates that Washington officials must consider upcoming changes to the International Building Code dealing with mass timber buildings of up to 18 stories. Read more.

Standards and Applications for Smoke and Fire Protective Curtains

March 28|The Construction Specifier

Fire curtains used as fire-protection features in commercial buildings have had a controversial history. In 1672, a fire at the Drury Lane Theater in London prompted the owners to rebuild with two safety features: a large water tank perched on the roof to douse potential stage fires, and the world’s first known safety curtain, an iron curtain mounted in front of the stage to protect the audience from back-stage fires. The new building lasted more than 120 years. In 1791, it was demolished to make way for a larger theatre, which opened in 1794. The rebuilt Drury Lane Theater survived for 15 years before burning down in 1809. Read more.

RESNET Board Adopts RESNET Water Efficiency Technical Guidelines

March 28|PHCP Pros

The Residential Energy Services Network is in the initial phase of field testing the HERSH2O Technical Guidelines, rating process and inspection procedures. Code officials, builders, real estate professionals and home rating professionals recently gathered in Orlando, for a live demonstration of the HERSH2O Index rating process hosted by KB Homes and HERS Energy Rating Company TopBuild. KB provided use of the home for the demonstration, which was located near Lake Buena Vista Resort, site of the RESNET 2018 Conference. Homebuilding professionals in attendance heard a briefing about the development of the HERSH2O rating system, then followed a HERSH2O rater to perform the rating. Read more.

Cornerstone brings you safe, crystal clear water for your family

March 28|The Laker/Lutz News

Many people take for granted the water in their home, both working water used for taking showers and washing clothes, and drinking water for making coffee and ice cubes. It is not until their showerheads become corroded with mineral build up, or their ice cubes look cloudy, do many families consider a water treatment and purification system for their home. Unfortunately, by the time they do, the damage often has already been done to home appliances, faucets and grout which have become pitted, scratched, stained and may even require replacement. Read more.

Trapped schoolchildren called their parents from burning Russian mall to say goodbye

March 27|The Washington Post

With anger, sadness, and confusion, Russians struggled to come to grips Monday with a shocking failure of fire safety that allowed a blaze to storm through a crowded shopping center in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, killing 64 people. An entire class of schoolchildren apparently died in Sundays fire, some having had the chance to make desperate, futile phone calls to parents or relatives before succumbing to the smoke and flames. Russian social networks were flooded with grief, and a measure of anger over the response. Officials said fire exits were blocked and an alarm had been turned off. Read more.

Travel safety tips after toxic gases kill Iowa family in Mexico

March 27|ABC 12

What should have been a dream vacation ended when a family of four was found dead. Investigators in Mexico said the Sharp family from Iowa likely died from toxic gas fumes. They haven't said what type of gas just yet, but reports said they do suspect the hot water heater inside a rented condo was the source. If you are traveling there are some things you can do to provide safety and peace of mind when it comes to toxic gases like natural gas or carbon monoxide. Read more.

A Toilet Policy Limits This Adams Morgan Bar to a 15-Person Capacity

March 27|Washington City Paper

Grand Duchess has all the makings of a neighborhood hang. You can get a $7 Old Fashioned to pair with a $5 gourmet grilled cheese sandwich in a relaxed setting. The problem is, owners Vinnie Rotondaro and Rory Adair are having to turn away more people than Bad Saint. On Friday night, a sign with some sort of frowning creature was placed in front of the entryway of the Adams Morgan bar. "Sorry we're working through an occupancy issue," it read. Inside, Rotondaro was turning away parties at the door despite a handful of empty tables. His face was pinched with a bit of pain, knowing the first impression his new bar was making on potential customers. Read more.

Safety concerns after vacation tragedy for Iowa family

March 26|WOMT News

Many U.S. travelers are questioning their safety in other countries. This comes as we learn new developments in the investigation on how an Iowa family died while on vacation. Amy Sharp's mother is trying to come to terms with what happened, but finding answers isn't easy. "They were good people," said Beth Fry. Authorities have yet to identify the type of toxic gas which killed the Sharps, but Monday they announced a boiler is the likely source. The family of four was on vacation in Mexico staying in a condo at a resort there. Read more.

Bill could limit hurricane protection in Savannah building codes

March 25|Savannah Now

Legislation that is awaiting only the governors signature to become law could prevent local governments from enacting measures to strengthen their building codes, whether for fire protection or other reasons, such as making sure buildings are hardened against hurricanes. H.B. 876 would prohibit counties and municipalities from forbidding the use of wood in the construction of certain buildings when state minimum standard codes are met. The bill, sponsored by State Rep. John Corbett, R-Lake Park, passed the House in February and the Senate on March 19. The Savannah area delegation was largely in favor of the bill, with State Rep. Craig Gordon, D-Savannah, the lone local no vote. Read more.

How past disasters can help us prepare for the future

March 25|Science News

People call Lucy Jones the earthquake lady. For nearly 40 years, Jones, a seismologist, has been a leading voice in California on earthquake science and safety. A few months after retiring from the U.S. Geological Survey in 2016, she founded the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society to bring policy makers and scientists together to discuss disaster resilience. Now Jones is bringing that discussion to the public in her new book, The Big Ones. She offers a fascinating history of how catastrophic natural events, including the Lisbon earthquake of 1755, Iceland’s Laki volcanic eruption in 1783 (SN: 2/17/15, p. 29) and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, have shaped politics, culture and society. Science News talked with Jones about the book, which she hopes will be a wake-up call, encouraging people to be ready for when, not if, the next disaster strikes. The discussion that follows has been edited for length and clarity. Read more.

Grenfell Tower: MPs warned that fire safety tests will put lives at risk

March 24|Independent

Dozens of MPs have written to the Government to warn that plans to reform fire-safety regulations post-Grenfell will put lives at risk by allowing building materials to be approved without undergoing rigorous testing. In a letter seen by The Independent, nearly 50 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party said that a refusal to rule out the use of desktop assessments to determine if cladding and other materials are safe was unfathomable and would contribute to a culture of cost-cutting. Read more.

Many States Unprepared for Climate Change Impacts on Water Supplies

March 23|Environmental Leader

The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) and the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) released their 2017 Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard this week, and the results around climate resiliency planning were eye-opening. Most US states have a long way to go to shore up their legal frameworks and improve requirements contributing to water conservation, efficiency, and long-term resiliency, according to the AWE and ELI. The two nonprofits released the first scorecard in 2012. This five-year update gives two grades to each state: one for climate resiliency planning and another for efficiency and conservation. Read more.

Fort Worth, Texas, School District Continues to Enhance School Safety

March 23|Emergency Management

In the latest enhancement of Fort Worth Independent School Districts plan to keep students and faculty safe, the district granted the Fort Worth Police Department access to school video in real time whenever police deem it necessary. School Resource Officers already have access via the Internet, their phones and laptops, and now Fort Worth Police will have access at the Real Time Crime Center. Any information gleaned via the surveillance cameras within the district by the Real Time Crime Center can be transmitted to patrol officers on the street. Read more.

New Carbon Monoxide Ordinance Effective April 1

March 23|Public Now

Almost all homes have smoke detectors installed, and this requirement is well known among REALTORS and the general public. But what about Carbon Monoxide detectors? Did you know that in the United States between 2010 and 2015, a total of 2,244 deaths resulted from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning? Many of these deaths could have been prevented by a properly-installed CO detector. Does my home need a carbon monoxide detector? In order to improve safety and reduce risks of carbon monoxide poisoning, Austin City Council adopted an ordinance with an effective date of April 1 requiring all homes in Austin to be outfitted by a CO detector if they meet the following requirements. Read more.

Hawaii County Closes Its Safe Zone Homeless Experiment

March 21|Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii County officials broke down a collection of tents, tarps and cots known as Camp Kikaha in Kailua-Kona Tuesday due to safety concerns. Hawaii Island Mayor Harry Kim set up the camp last August under an emergency proclamation when the county cleared 68 people from an illegal homeless camp at Old Kona Airport Park. The proclamation waived building and fire codes but has since expired. When heavy winds and rain hit the Big Islands west side, the homeless people living at Camp Kikaha used wood pallets to protect themselves, which created a fire hazard. Three large canopies used for shade were also flammable. Read more.