New York eReport November 2008 Issue Masthead

Membership + Code Resources = A Winning Combination

The 2007 Building and Fire Safety Codes of New York State are now in effect.
Are you up to code?

Become a member of the International Code Council to receive special member pricing on essential New York State code resources. Members also receive a wide range of money-saving services to keep current on critical issues and code changes that affect on-the-job decisions.

Discover the key benefits of membership and download a free 30-day trial of the 2003 International Building Code Commentary—Volume 1.

Transition to the New
Codes after 40 Years

ICC Helps You Get Up to Code in NYC

Get the resources you need now. To order new codes and code resources‚ at member discount pricing‚ or find other resources on certification and training‚ click here.

Smart Bargains

Shop a huge variety of deeply discounted merchandise you won’t find anywhere else. These overstocked‚ discontinued and clearance items must go. Shop now.

Get Products While
Supplies Last

Designing and Building with the IBC Book Cover

A great tool to help you transition to the new New York State Building Code‚ based on the 2003 International Building Code (IBC)‚ Designing and Building with the IBC contains a side-by-side comparison of the 2000 and 2003 IBC as well as a comparison to the model codes. It includes professional code commentary with expert advice.

NYC Department of
Buildings News

New Criteria for Class C HMO Licenses
Commissioner LiMandri announced strict new criteria for individuals seeking licenses to operate Class C hoist machines‚ commonly referred to as mobile cranes. New York City is one of only 19 jurisdictions nationwide that restricts the operation of cranes to licensed individuals.

License Term and Fee Changes
Specified crane licenses will be extended to three-year terms beginning January 1‚ 2009.

General Contractor Registration Renewal
General contractors registered with the NYC Department of Buildings seeking to renew their registration must now follow new procedures.

New Sidewalk Shed Maintenance Requirements
The NYC Department of Buildings is now requiring contractors to be responsible for the upkeep of sidewalk sheds.

New Annual Inspection Cycle for Boilers Starting Soon
On January 1‚ 2009‚ a new annual inspection cycle for boilers will become effective.

New Insurance Requirements for Contractors
All contractors conducting business with the NYC Department of Buildings must submit or update their insurance with the Licensing unit by October 31.

General Contractor Registration
Contractors seeking to build one-‚ two- and three-family homes must register with the NYC Department of Buildings by October 31 to obtain a New Building permit.

No Smoking on All Construction Sites
As per section 1404.1 of the New York City Fire Code‚ smoking on any construction (including demolition) site is strictly prohibited.

Training

Find out how the Code Council’s Custom Training Programs can help you transition to the new NYS Construction Codes. These programs can be customized to meet your jurisdiction’s or organization’s specific needs. Tell me more.

Online Learning 24/7

Every student can learn‚ just not on the same day‚ or in the same way. The ICC Campus provides a secure‚ risk-free environment to improve your skills‚ broaden your knowledge and increase your productivity. Visit the online campus.

Premium eCodes

Make your International Codes‚ state codes and other Code Council resources mobile with a subscription to Premium eCodes.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Code Council Annual Meetings

Code Council Board Meetings

Code Council Institutes

Code Council Webinars

Industry Special Events

Ready When You Are

What’s better than hiring expert plan reviewers? Having a team of them waiting in the wings. Get yours.

Why Choose ICC-ES for Your PMG Product Listing?

plumbing image

The International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) has established itself as the United States’ leader in evaluating building products for code compliance. According to a recent nationwide survey‚ code officials prefer ICC-ES Evaluation Reports as resources to approve alternate building products. Find out why.

Get Virtual

Interested in the latest updates on the Code Council and the Northeast Regional Coalition? Searching for links and news on the New York State Code Coalition? Then check out the New York ICC Interactive Forum.

LINKS

State of New York‚ Department of State

New York State Department of State Codes Division

Office of Fire Prevention and Control

NYC Department of Buildings

Fire Department of New York

Firemen’s Association of the State of New York

New York State Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association

New York State Building Officials Conference

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs

Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York

New York State Fire Safety Educators

Fire Safety Directors Association of Greater New York

National Fire Sprinkler Association

The International Code Council’s New York eReport is a free email publication. This quarterly eReport provides the latest building and fire safety news and updates in New York State‚ and useful resources for the code enforcement and industry professionals living and working in the state.

We hope you found this issue to be interesting and informative. We’re already working on the next issue‚ scheduled to come your way in December.

CONTACT US

Dottie Harris

Code Council Staff Liaison

Ronald Piester

Code Council Board Liaison

Bruce Johnson

Team Fire Staff Liaison

Receive and experience the New York eReport as intended. Add eNewsLetter@iccsafe.org to your address book.

New York eReport
November 2008
Volume 3‚ Number 4

Code Hearings Feature Major Issues

International Code Council members debated and voted on code change proposals shaping the future of building safety and fire prevention during the organization’s Final Action Hearings. The hundreds of approved code changes will be included in the 2009 version of the International Codes. For skyscrapers‚ buildings greater than 420 feet in height‚ an additional stairwell is required to assist firefighter access to upper floors. The additional stairwell is not required if the building includes special elevators that can be used to evacuate occupants during an emergency. Read more about code changes from carbon monoxide detectors‚ to energy and sprinklers.

Delegates participate in the Final Action Hearings in Minneapolis.

Council Elects Board Officers‚ Directors

Adolf A. Zubia‚ Fire Chief for the City of Las Cruces‚ New Mexico‚ was elected President of the International Code Council Board of Directors during the Annual Business Meeting of the 2008 Annual Conference and Final Action Hearings in Minneapolis. Ronald L. Lynn‚ Building Official and Director of Development Services for Clark County‚ Nevada‚ was elected Vice President. James L. Brothers‚ Director of the Decatur‚ Alabama‚ Building Department‚ was elected Secretary/Treasurer. Voting members also elected five directors to serve on the Board. Read more.

The officers of the 2008-2009 Code Council Board of Directors are: (from left) Immediate Past President Steven I. Shapiro‚ President Adolf A. Zubia‚ Vice President Ronald L. Lynn and Secretary/Treasurer James L. Brothers.

Mueller Earns Fire Service Award


John Mueller (center)‚ Deputy State Fire Administrator for the State of New York‚ receives the International Code Council Fire Service Award from Code Council Immediate Past President Steve Shapiro (right) and Awards Committee Chairman Tim Ryan.

The 2008 Fire Service Award was presented to Chief John Mueller‚ Deputy State Fire Administrator for the State of New York. Mueller has served with the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control for 30 years and was instrumental in developing the world’s first fire safety standard for cigarettes—now used in 27 states—and helped develop and implement the state’s Campus Fire Safety Program. Continue reading here.

Read more conference coverage.

LiMandri Sworn in as NYC
Buildings Commissioner

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg swore in Robert LiMandri as Commissioner of the Department of Buildings. LiMandri‚ who has more than 19 years of engineering and construction management experience in the private and non-profit sectors‚ has served as Acting Commissioner since April 2008 and has been part of the Department of Buildings’ senior management since 2002. Read more.

Say Hello to New Codes in NYC

For the construction industry‚ it’s officially time to say goodbye to the old New York codes. The 2008 New York City Codes went into effect across all five boroughs on July 1.

NYC Adopts‚ Implements New Fire Code

New York City introduced the first comprehensive change to its fire code in nearly 100 years. The city will adopt a regulation thousands of other United States’ jurisdictions have already implemented‚ the International Fire Code. Continue reading here.

NYC Codes Call for IAS Accreditation

Along with its adoption of the 2006 International Building Code‚ the New York City Construction Codes now include a requirement that all special inspection and testing agencies must be IAS accredited by 2010. Read more on the new Department Approved Agencies Rule.

New Crane Safety Legislation
Signed into Law

Three new pieces of legislation that improve the safety of crane operations throughout New York City was signed into law. The legislation is part of a larger construction safety plan and builds upon a $4 million investment to conduct an in-depth assessment of high-risk construction activities. Read more.

New Protocols Established for
Cigarette Fire Safety Program

To assist the fire service in complying with the reporting requirements of GML 204d‚ the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has established a new Investigation Protocol and one-page Fire Incident Report for fire chiefs and their investigation units to report specific criteria for fires suspected to have been caused by cigarettes. Continue reading here.

CODE COUNCIL NEWS

Code Council Attends NYSBOC
Annual Meeting

Code Council Board Immediate Past President Steve Shapiro‚ Board member Ron Piester‚ and State and Local Government Relations North Vice President Dorothy Harris attended the New York State Building Officials Conference (NYSBOC) Annual Meeting on September 3-5 in Lake Placid. The first NYSBOC-sponsored Code Council Certification paper/pencil exam was given during the meeting. Pictured from left are NYSBOC Past President Steven McDaniel‚ President Daniel Casella and Shapiro.

FASNY Receives New Chapter
Banner at Conference

The Fireman’s Association of New York State (FASNY) displays its new chapter banner from the International Code Council‚ received during the chapter’s conference in Rochester‚ New York. During the event‚ a Code Council Candidates Forum was conducted and the chapter’s new banner was presented.

Pictured from left are Code Council Secretary/Treasurer James Brothers‚ Joe Sauerwein (FASNY Standards and Codes Committee)‚ FASNY President Tom Cuff‚ Gunnar Neilson (FASNY Standards and Codes Committee)‚ Jim Burns (FASNY Standards and Codes Committee)‚ Austin Sennett (FASNY Standards and Codes Committee)‚ Paul VanArtsDalen and Code Council Board member Ron Piester.

ICC Regional Fire Services Representative Bob Weitzel (pictured) and Government Relations Regional Manager Bruce Johnson hosted an exhibit booth at the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC) FIRE 2008 held in Lake George. The event featured hands on training and education programs‚ hundreds of exhibitors‚ and a memorial service where NYSAFC recognized 44 association members and 10 firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during the 2008 service.

Gift of Codes to Benefit Humanity

Dorothy Harris presents books to manager of Habitat for Humanity.

Dorothy Harris‚ Vice President of State and Local Government Relations North for the International Code Council (right)‚ presents a set of NYS Codes to Construction Project Manager Micheline Moncur of the Capital District Chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The books will assist Moncur in Habitat’s upcoming projects in the City of Albany.

Code Council Works NYS FMIA Show

New York State Fire Administrator‚ Chief Floyd Madison (standing) speaks during the NYS Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association (NYS FMIA) Meeting‚ which was held in conjunction with the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs (NYSAFC) Conference in Lake George. Pictured from left are Chief Madison‚ Association President Robert Drexler‚ 1st Vice President Jody Nolan and Secretary John Palcher. Code Council Fire Service Activities Regional Managers Bruce Johnson and Bob Weitzel were working a display booth at the NYSAFC show.

Timmons Elected to Fire and Life Safety
Section Of IAFC Board of Directors

Fire Chief William Timmons‚ former NYS FMIA President (Code Council State Chapter)‚ was elected to the Board of Directors of the Fire and Life Safety Section of International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) for a one-year term.

NYSBOC‚ ICC Share a Booth at NYCOM

Dorothy Harris‚ Vice President of State and Local Government Relations North for the International Code Council (right) and Amy Bertini‚ New York State Building Officials Conference (NYSBOC) delegate from the Central Chapter‚ speak with Randolph Bateman‚ Mayor of Oswego‚ New York‚ and member of the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council‚ during the New York Conference of Mayor’s (NYCOM) Conference in Saratoga. The Code Council and NYSBOC shared booth space at the event.

Code Council Honors FDNY for
New Fire Code


Code Council Deputy Senior Vice President of Fire Service Activities Jim Tidwell (right) presents a proclamation from the International Code Council to Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano (left) and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta in recognition of their Code Council Governmental Membership and commending the work they have done to change the New York City Fire Code.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta‚ Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano and members of the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) Law Department received a proclamation from the International Code Council‚ in recognition of their Code Council Governmental Membership and commending the work they have done to change the New York City Fire Code.
Continue reading here.

NYC Codes Covered at Buildings NY Show

Scott Pavan from the NYC Department of Buildings presents on the new NYC Construction Codes at the 2008 Buildings NY Show in New York City. Pavan was joined by Dorothy Harris‚ Vice President of State and Local Government Relations North for the International Code Council‚ for a joint presentation entitled “Learn about the new NYC Construction Codes.”

The Code Council’s Dorothy Harris and Brian Campbell‚ Manager of Exhibits (center) get a surprise visit from Code Council Board member Steve Jones during the Buildings NY Show. The largest buildings-related show in New York‚ it was the first opportunity to place an advance order of the new NYC Construction Codes.