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Building Safety Month with Galax’s Jimmy Moss

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Virginia Building and Code Officials Association President Jimmy Moss mark Building Safety Month in this conversation with DHCD’s Amanda Love. Broad stakeholder participation marks the ongoing development of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). “It’s not like it’s written by someone and handed down,” says Moss. “We help develop it.”

Then, across Virginia, building departments and code officials use it to help develop safe, sustainable, and affordable communities. “The idea is not for the code to be an obstacle, but the roadmap to where (the customer) wants to be.”  Moss is the City of Galax projects manager.

May is the International Code Council (ICC) Building Safety Month. Safer buildings, safer communities, safer world. #buildingsafety365

Listen to the Podcast

 

City of Galax has an Innovative Plan to Celebrate Building Safety Month Amid Pandemic

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Faced with business closures, stay-at-home orders and limits on the size of public gatherings due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, building officials have been looking for ways to celebrate Building Safety Month in their jurisdictions while ensuring everyone’s health and safety. For one city in rural Virginia, the solution has been to enlist a tried and true technology that continues to play a central role in the community — radio.

James Moss, project manager for the city of Galax, Va., and president of the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association, is teaming up with the two FM radio stations in town — 96.5 WCGX “The Cat” and 98.1 WBRF — to produce radio spots on the Building Safety Month weekly themes that will air throughout May, and to air a special feature program on building safety.

Continue Reading…

VFPA Partners with VDFP/VFMA and The American Wood Council to offer online CEU Opportunities

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Dear Code Enforcement Community,
 

In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic facing our fire and code enforcement communities; code enforcement personnel have been affected by the inability to attend continuing education opportunities.  The Virginia Fire Prevention Association and the Virginia Fire Marshal Academy have partnered with the American Wood Council to offer several distance learning educational opportunities.  The American Wood Council is an ICC preferred provider for ICC CEU’s and their courses have been approved for VDFP/VFMA 1031-Fire Inspector CEU’s.

While the impact of this pandemic has affected our annual meeting and training conference, it has not affected our dedication in providing our members, partners and stakeholders with opportunities to meet your training needs.

Attached, you will find a list of courses offered along with a registration link.  Each course will be offered twice to expand the opportunities for your attendance.  We hope each of you remains safe during this time and we hope to see you online at these training events.

With the Safest  Regards,

Ernie Little, VFPA President

(for a printable flyer on these opportunities, click here: Letter-Flyer VFPA-AWC Training.pdf)

The list of classes and dates are included below:

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Demobilizing Construction Sites Safely Using the Model Codes

Offering Date: May 13, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD236

Offering Date: May 15, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD236-II

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Tall Mass Timber Buildings & Fire Service Concerns

Offering Date: May 26, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-DES607-I

Offering Date: May 28, 20200     Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-DE607-II

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Construction Fire Safety Best Practices

Offering Date: May 19, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD231-I

Offering Date: May 20, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD231-II

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Pre-planning and Fire Suppression of Building Under Construction

Offering Date: June 3, 2020         Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD232-I

Offering Date: June 5, 2020          Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD232-II

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I-joists and Firefighter Safety

Offering Date: June 10, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD237-I

Offering Date: June 12, 2020       Registration Link: https://awc.site-ym.com/event/VAFPS-BCD237-II
   Click the link above for a detailed course description and information for each program

Awards and Resolutions Committee is seeking nominations for the 2020 VBCOA Annual Conference

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Dear Valued VBCOA Members,

The Awards and Resolutions Committee is seeking nominations for the 2020 VBCOA Annual Conference to be held in Williamsburg on September 13-15, 2020. Please consider those members worthy of your nomination and submit the attached nomination form to the committee co-chairs (Mike Williams or Patrick Hughes). The nominations for the following awards programs are due by 5:00 PM on Friday July 17, 2020:

The Jack A. Proctor Meritorious Service Awards, initiated in 1982 and named in honor of Jack A. Proctor in 2011, includes five categories of awards:

  • For members in recognition of long-term special achievement.
  • For building officials in recognition of exceptional service, interest and commendable initiative in promoting better building code enforcement and code development and in promoting the public safety, health and welfare as they relate to construction.
  • For architects and registered design professionals in recognition of exceptional service, interest and commendable initiative in promoting outstanding architectural and engineering design and code development in residential and commercial construction.
  • For inspectors, field inspectors and plan reviewers in recognition of exceptional effort in promoting code enforcement, improving professionalism by participation in continuing education classes designed to enhance code knowledge and promoting code knowledge to architects, engineers and contractors in a professional manner for better compliance.
  • For permit technicians in recognition of exceptional services in promoting and developing the role of permit technicians. The Public Service Award, initiated in 1993, is given in recognition of extraordinary time and effort in keeping the construction industry and the general public informed of code requirements. The Citizen Award, initiated in 1993, is given in recognition of responsiveness and support of building code enforcement.

Nomination Form

Please send nominations to Mike Williams: mike.williams@harrisonburgva.gov and Patrick Huges: PHUGHES@CityOfChesapeake.Net

Emory R. Rogers’ Educational Scholarships for the 2020 VBCOA Annual Conference

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VBCOA members in good standing may apply for the Emory R. Rogers’ Educational Scholarship for the 2020 VBCOA Annual Conference which will be held at the Williamsburg Lodge, September 13-15, 2020.  The Scholarship includes (2) nights lodging (if needed); and registration for the event.

Interested members should use the following online form to apply for the scholarship, the application deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 10, 2020 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VBCOAAC2020

Scholarship recipients will be notified via email within 7 days of the VBCOA scholarship application submission deadline date of July 10, 2020. Additionally, the Awards and Resolutions Committee is seeking nominations for Awards.

Webinar Announcement: Virtual Building Department (From A to Z)

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During this time of social distancing many building departments are developing policies and procedures to conduct business remotely, perhaps using electronic permitting or virtual inspections. The city of Arlington is one of those localities having successfully moved to a digitized permitting and inspection process in response to the COVID 19. Whether your locality has already made the transition or is, just starting to think about it you will benefit from hearing how Arlington County successfully moved to an electronic based service delivery process.

DHCD and Arlington County have collaborated to offer two free webinar sessions.  Shahriar Amiri, Arlington County building official, will present on their transition process, procedures, and information on processes and applications, as well as resources helpful during this time of social distancing.  The will also be plenty of time for questions and answers.

 

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

2:30 to 4:00 p.m.

No pre-registration necessary

 

Thursday, April 9, 2020

2:30 – 4:00 p.m.

No pre-registration necessary

For questions about this free webinar, please contact vbca@dhcd.virginia.gov

 

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