International Code Council Government Relations New Updates – February 2018

The 38th annual Building Safety Month theme is “Building Codes Save Lives”

The International Code Council announced the 38^th annual Building Safety Month theme – “Building Codes Save Lives.” Building Safety Month is an international campaign held during the month of May that raises awareness about building safety and the importance of current safety codes and the role of code officials in creating safe, sustainable structures that communities can rely on for generations to come. During May, the Code Council, its 64,000 members, and a diverse partnership of professionals from the building construction, design and safety community come together with corporations, government agencies, professional associations and nonprofits to promote building safety through proclamations, informational events, legislative briefings and more. The weekly themes will be:

• Week One (May 1-5): “Partnering with Code Officials to Build Stronger, Safer Communities”
• Week Two (May 6-12): “Advancing Resilient Communities Through Science & Technology”
• Week Three (May 13-19): “Protecting Communities from Disasters”
• Week Four (May 20-26): “Safeguarding Our Water”
• Week Five (May 27-31): “Improving Education & Training Standards for a Safer Tomorrow”

What is your community and your ICC Chapter doing to celebrate 2018 Building Safety Month?

Mayors, Governors and ICC Chapters will be commemorating the 2018 Building Safety Month using the proclamation now available to download from the ICC website. Many ICC Members and their Chapters are taking additional steps to make sure the public understands the importance of building codes and the communities and public servants who enforce them. Again this year, Permit Tech Nation Chapter of ICC members across the nation will be taking handouts to grade school classrooms. Building inspector offices and city halls are planning decorations for the month of May to spread the word. You can also use the toolkit provided on the Government Relations page to educate local officials, parents, students and other citizens with brief videos titled “Building Safety Month,” “Code Officials: Building Safety Today for Stronger Tomorrow” and “ICC’s Code Development.” And whatever you have planned, you can email your proclamations, photos and videos from Building Safety Month events to bs*@ic*****.org.

The Code Council celebrates 15 years dedicated to creating safe buildings and resilient communities

Now at 64,000 members strong, the International Code Council is celebrating its 15-year anniversary as an international association dedicated to building safety in the U.S. and around the world. Formed in 1994 and officially incorporated in 2003 by three legacy organizations – the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA), the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (SBCCI) – the Code Council was founded at the request of the design and construction industry to develop a single set of comprehensive national model codes. Today, that mission is accomplished as the Code Council develops a number of codes and standards, including mechanical, plumbing, structural, resilience, accessibility and green standards, and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. Read more here.

ICC Government Relations welcomes Neil Burning to direct programs that support I-Code adoptions

The International Code Council named Neil Burning as its new Vice President of Government Relations Technical Resources. Burning brings over 30 years of technical expertise in codes and standards to the position. He will develop and direct programs and resources that support the adoption of the International Codes (I-Codes). Previously, Burning served as Vice President of Construction, Codes and Standards for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) where he oversaw the development of NAHB’s comprehensive advocacy efforts dealing with residential construction codes and standards development, implementation and enforcement. Read more here.

The Code Council and ICC-ES partner with building industry to support housing affordability

The International Code Council and the ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) facilitated new partnerships, strengthened existing relationships and brought together leaders from across the building industry at the fifth annual Design & Construction Week (DCW) in Orlando, Florida. As major sponsors and exhibitors at the 2018 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show (IBS) and the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), the Code Council and ICC-ES sponsored educational events about building innovation, fire safety and the latest trends in the manufacturing sector. Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, spoke about housing affordability: “Housing affordability goes hand-in-hand with our mission to create safe buildings and resilient communities. We are committed to ensuring that the model codes we develop continue to result in the highest level of building safety in the industrial world while taking into account the needs of prospective home buyers, home builders and others to keep costs affordable.” Read more.

ANCR developing USA’s first whole-community resilience benchmarks for buildings, water and energy

The International Code Council and the Alliance for National & Community Resilience (ANCR) are beginning the development of the nation’s first whole-community resilience benchmarks. ANCR needs subject matter experts with experience in the resilience arena to fill several volunteer openings on its committee. Volunteers who are interested in improving resiliency and determining best practices for communities should email their resumes or curriculum vitae to Re***************@gm***.com by Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. Eastern. The ANCR technical committee will first focus on creating benchmarks for buildings, water and energy, core functional areas for all communities.

Code Council members respond to calls for assistance in disaster areas, including U.S. Virgin Islands

In coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Code Council recently issued a call for volunteers to lend their skills to the hurricane-damaged U.S. Virgin Islands where the Building Permitting Office there has only two building officials for the entire territory. Dozens of ICC members responded, and responses continue to roll in. If you wish to volunteer, or you have contacts with individuals or groups who might wish to help, please visit our Disaster Response Network. Your State Emergency Management Agency can also help you with details (indicate you are responding to the Resource Request #1306-RR-7094).

March 1 is the deadline to submit ICC award nominations for code officials, chapters and educators

Chapters and individuals have less than one month to submit nominations for the many prestigious awards to be presented at the 2018 Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., and other ICC events. ICC Awards will be presented in several categories to honor individuals, communities and organizations for their accomplishments and service to ICC and the building safety industry. To nominate someone for an ICC Award, please complete and email the form(s) indicated to Karla Price Higgs, Vice President, Member Services, kh****@ic*****.org.

March 1 is also the deadline to submit nominees for the Innovation in Code Administration Award

The March 1 deadline also pertains to the second annual presentation of the Innovation in Code Administration Award, which will be at the Government Relations Forum this fall at the ICC 2018 Annual Conference in Richmond. The 2017 recipient was the City of St. Paul, Minn. The award program is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs-Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and the Government Relations Division of the International Code Council. Click here for qualifications and a nomination form.

March 16 is the deadline for Governmental Member Voting Representatives to be validated to vote

All ICC Primary Representatives must validate their Governmental Member Voting Representatives by March 16th to participate in the online hearings assembly floor motion vote that follows the Committee Action Hearings to be held April 15-25 in Columbus, Ohio. Check voting status. For more information about the code development process, click here. For more information about cdpACCESS (used for online voting), visit www.iccsafe.org/cdpaccess.

Save the dates for ICC’s two Group A code hearings in Columbus and Richmond

Here’s a reminder of the dates and related information of the Group A code hearings and the 2018 ICC Annual Conference:

• The 2018 Committee Action Hearings are April 15–25, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. The hearings offer code and fire officials, architects, builders, engineers, and plumbing, mechanical and energy conservation professionals the opportunity to debate proposed changes to the Group A International Codes®. The hearings are free to attend, but preregistration is recommended now.
• On October 21–31, 2018, the Code Council will host the 2018 Annual Conference, Code Hearings and Expo in Richmond, Va. The conference includes top-notch education sessions, building tours, Global Connections Day, valuable networking and the opportunity to help finalize the Group A 2021 International Codes. Registration begins in spring of 2018.

Recent federal tax cut legislation includes incentives for the installation of fire sprinkling systems

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act of 2017 included these key provisions from the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act that the ICC Fire Service Membership Council and the ICC Board of Directors supported:

• Under the section 179 Property Tax Classification, mercantile occupancies on the base or concourse level of a non-residential high rise building can deduct up to $1 million for the installation of sprinklers.
• All commercial high rise occupancies, and single- owned apartment buildings (low or high rise) can fully expense with no cap the cost of installing a fire sprinkler system for the next five years, and after that the percentage goes down until the tenth year.

Mitigation: Ben Franklin proven right again on an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

Based on research conducted over the past year, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Multi-hazard Mitigation Council (MMC) has determined new benefit cost ratios (BCRs) from implementing mitigation strategies.  This work is an update and expansion of the previous 2005 NIBS MMC Study that determined the mitigation Benefits Cost Ratio (BCR) to be a ratio of 4:1 where “For every $1 spent by FEMA on hazard mitigation, it is $4 in future benefits.” Released on January 11, 2018, the mitigation concepts analyzed in the Natural Hazard Mitigation Strategies: 2017 Interim Report include: pre- and post-disaster federal hazard mitigation grants data, and designing new buildings to exceed select requirements of the 2015 International Codes (I-codes). The results show that, on average, mitigation grants funded through select federal government agencies can save the nation $6 in future disaster costs, for every $1 spent on hazard mitigation.

Upcoming from the ICC Learning Center: Institutes, training, seminars, webinars, etc.

Online learning is available 24/7 from the ICC Learning Center. We have added over 80 new online courses to our already robust catalog. See the complete listing in the Learning Center under “Online Courses.” And single-day training events are an opportunity to focus on critical code topics to ensure your code knowledge stays up to date, with some seminars offering a Virtual Classroom option so you can participate in the event from any location with an internet connection:

• February 7 – 2018 IFC Significant Changes in Atlanta.
• February 15 – Complimentary registration webinar 2018 IBC and 2018 IRC Significant Changes Related to Wood Construction AM (BCD130) at 10:55 a.m. Eastern and 1:55 p.m. Eastern.
• February 21 – 2016 CBC Essentials in Brea, Calif.
• February 21 – ICC Online Library Overview webinar 11 a.m. to noon Eastern.
• February 28 – 2016 CRC Essentials in Brea, Calif.
• March 8 – Complimentary registration webinar Fire Tests in Support of Tall Wood Buildings AM (DES603) 10:55 a.m. Eastern and 1:55 p.m. Eastern.
• March 16 – Complimentary registration webinar CLT Adhesive Tests in Support of Tall Wood Buildings AM (DES604) 10:55 a.m. Eastern and 1:55 p.m. Eastern.
• March 19 in Brea, Calif., the ISO/IEC 17021-1 Training Course to help professionals apply key sections of this ISO Standard to their work as a Management System Certification Body (MSCB).
• March 28 – 2018 IBC Essentials in Chicago.

The following is the updated list of institutes and other training opportunities across the nation:

• February 5-6 in Baltimore, Md., is the Leadership Institute, focusing on prescriptive skills for managing change within organizations. Leadership techniques help to encourage employees to commit to the change process. Tactical methods which critically examine the behaviors of employees to identify what stage of the change process each are in will be mastered as well.
• February 5-8 in Chicago, Ill., will be the B1 Residential Building Inspector Certification Test Academy. Topics include code administration; building planning; footings and foundation; floor construction; wall construction and coverings; roof/ceiling construction and public safety and special construction of the residential building inspector certification exam.
• February 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific is the web seminar “Frequently Misunderstood Wind Provisions” with instructor Emily Guglielmo, S.E., P.E., C.E., focusing on wind provisions of ASCE 7 and the IBC® that are frequently misunderstood or incorrectly applied, including building enclosure classification, torsional wind design, and wind load analysis methods.
• February 8 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pacific is the web seminar “Glass 101: A Crash Course in Structural Glass and the Requirements of 2012 IBC Chapter 24” with instructor Andrea Hektor, S.E. Focus is on glass design basics, structural-related requirements of 2012 IBC Chapter 24 Glass and Glazing, redundancy concepts and post-breakage behavior given that glass is a brittle material and the design process outlined in ASTM E1300, Practice for Determining Load Resistance of Glass in Buildings, which is referenced in IBC Chapter 24.
• February 12–16 2018 Upper Great Plains Region III Educational Institute in Chaska, Minn. It features a wide spectrum of specialized courses and the opportunity to earn important CEUs. With topics of interest to all building design, construction and inspection professionals, the Institute also provides an excellent opportunity for you to network, share experiences and solve problems in the comfortable environment of the Oak Ridge Hotel & Convention Center.
• February 26-28 Fire & Life Safety Institute at Myrtle Beach, S.C., an overview of the fire and life safety requirements of buildings as indicated in the 2015 International Building Code.
• March 5-8 at San Francisco, the Commercial Inspector Academy can better prepare you for the B1 Certification exam with this Certification Test Academy that covers exam topics in detail and provides an opportunity for you to answer questions that reference exam resources.
• March 5-9 Residential Inspection Institute at Austin, Texas. Focus is on essential code provisions of 2015 IRC, IPC, IFGC, IMC and IECC.
• March 12-16 Plan Review Institute at Birmingham, Ala. This institute will focus on the knowledge and skills necessary to perform a plan review referencing the 2015 IRC and the structural and nonstructural provisions of the International Building Code.
• March 19-21 the Code Module Specialist Certification Test Academy in Seattle provides instruction, individual and group interactive review exercises, evening assignments and the opportunity to practice test taking. Topics include customer service and communication; financial management; personnel management; records management and code management.
• March 19–23, 2018 are the dates for EduCode 2018, which is geared for building safety and code compliance professionals. All sessions are approved through the ICC Preferred Provider Program and cover topics that include architectural, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, structural, fire protection, code enforcement and leadership. Spend up to five days in Las Vegas for specialized training and earn up to 4.0 CEUs. Certification exams will be offered onsite during EduCode 2018. Register by Feb. 19 for the best course selection and early-bird rates.
• March 26-27 “When Disaster Strikes” Institute in Norfolk, Va. The Institute will provide hands-on instruction on assessing damage in the form of activities, case studies and interactive simulations that walk participants through the disaster scenarios; encourage discussion and describe how paperwork should be completed. Participants learn techniques on how to become a properly trained second responder and, on completion, can be relied on to assist with performing post-disaster building assessments.

Download your poster today! It’s never too early to start celebrating Building Safety Month

February is here and groundhogs are getting nervous, but that doesn’t mean you can’t show your pride in code officials and your support for the 2018 Building Safety Month. Get started today by downloading the official 2018 BSM poster. Click here! And forward the link to your friends and colleagues.