ICC Annual Meeting Report

By Ron George, CIPE, CPD

President, Ron George Design & Consulting Services

New officers were elected at the annual meeting. They are as follows.

• President: Steven I. Shapiro, director of codes compliance, Hampton, VA.
• Vice President: Adolf A. Zubia, fire chief, Las Cruces, NM.
• Secretary/Treasurer: Ronald L. Lynn, building official and director of development services, Clark County, NV.
• Director: William L. Dupler, (Re-elected to a 3-year term)
• Director: Barbara L. Koffron, (Re-elected to a 3-year term)
• Director: Doug Murdock, (Re-elected to a 3-year term)
• Director: Steve Jones, construction official, Florham Park and Milburn Township, NJ, (Elected to a 3-year term)
• Director: Jeff Whitney, chief building official, Grand County, UT, (Elected to a 3-year term).

When ICC was born in 1994, its primary focus was to develop and promote a single set of coordinated codes-without regional limitations, but with enough flexibility to address local needs. ICC has delivered on that promise, as the International Codes are now used as the foundation for building safety in all 50 states and Washington, DC, at the state and/or local level. I-Codes, developed and approved by the voting members, are like a national standard. They provide basic safeguards for people at home, school and in the workplace.

ICC's vision statement reads: "Protecting the health, safety and welfare of people by creating better buildings and safer communities."

ICC's mission statement reads: "Providing the highest quality codes, standards, products and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment."

Recognition of the importance of the Code Officials

During the recent ICC Annual Meeting, Wally Bailey, who was the president and is now the Immediate past president of ICC, as well as director, development and construction, city of Fort Smith, AR, stated he would like to increase the awareness of the importance of the role that building officials play in making a building safe. He asked, "How much time do you spend inside some type of a building during your lifetime?" He stated, "I am not sure that anyone has ever researched that, but I do know that most of us take it for granted that when we are in our home, a workplace, a school, an office building or a public facility that the structure is safe. We don't expect the ceiling to collapse. We don't think about the danger of fire or electrocution when a light switch is turned on and we assume the plumbing works properly and will not scald us or create a health hazard. We expect heating, air conditioning and other mechanical systems to operate safely and with energy efficiency."

Safe buildings don't happen without an effort to meet the minimum safety and health requirements of the codes. America can boast that it has the safest buildings in the world due largely to a cooperative effort. The partners in this effort are the code officials who enforce building codes. Architects and engineers are also a partner because they design buildings to meet or exceed the minimum requirements in the codes. Contractors are also partners because they build the buildings to meet or exceed the minimum requirements in the code.

Building codes save lives and protect property. But too often the public sees building codes and the building officials who enforce them as government regulators, and as a nuisance. They do not always see building officials as public safety officials as their colleagues in the fire service and police department. While building officials may not face the same on-the-job dangers as their counterparts in the fire service and police department, they do provide an important public safety service.

Countless lives have been saved and property damage has been reduced by smoke detectors alerting residents and fire departments of fires. Building safety codes require smoke detectors. Bedroom windows are required by code to be of sufficient size to allow residents to escape in emergencies and provide access for rescue personnel. Inspectors also look for fire resistant emergency egress routes in larger buildings, fireproofing of structural elements and structural integrity of the building. They also look at stair guardrails to provide a safety factor to protect children from falling through the rails. They look for wind resistant construction and seismic provisions to assure these safeguards are in place to protect people and property from natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes.

Plumbing Inspectors perform inspections to assure that safety issues like anti-scald shower valves are installed and that backflow preventers are in place to prevent the spread of contaminants in our drinking water. Mechanical inspectors check to make sure the fuel gas piping is free from leaks and that furnace and water heater flues are sized and installed properly to prevent carbon monoxide asphyxiation or a fire.

Bailey says, "It is time to raise the profile of code officials so they get the recognition they deserve as guardians of public safety." Bailey would like to develop a long-term campaign to change the way code officials and building codes are perceived. "The goal is to show that strong codes and effective enforcement are what make us less vulnerable to every kind of disaster."  The recognition of all code officials as public safety officials and defenders of the public from serious property loss and personal injury is an effort that is past due.

Going Green with the Council

At this year's annual ICC Conference, they offered education courses related to green building. These courses were part of ICCl's commitment to green building and sustainability and preserving the environment for future generations. Wally Bailey reported the ICC's activities to address the Green Buildings, including the Board's policy on green building, a dedicated page on the ICC website, a joint development with the National Assn. of Home Builders on a residential green building standard, and co-sponsoring the American Institute of Architects' Green Codes summit. ICC Chief Executive Officer Rick Weiland announced the formation of a new personnel certification that will demonstrate individuals' ability to assess compliance with green building programs.

ICC Puts Emphasis on Plumbing, Mechanical & Fuel Gas

At this year's conference in Reno, NV, ICC reported that 2007 marks the beginning of a new era for the members of the International Code Council. In response to the needs of membership and the industry, ICC will place more emphasis on plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas (PMG) as an integral part of building safety in the built environment.

Jay Peters has joined the staff of ICC as executive director of plumbing and mechanical activities. Peters will be responsible for increasing the ICC PMG programs' visibility and industry involvement; identifying new standards, guidelines and code-related matters; developing training programs and support products; and creating new avenues to advance ICC activities in the plumbing and mechanical arenas.

Peters comes to ICC from the International Assn. of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), where he served as senior director of codes and education. During his tenure at IAPMO, Peters was responsible for code development, education and certification programs and served as the Standards Council Secretary.

"Jay brings an abundance of real-world experience in the plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas industries as a tradesman, educator and entrepreneur," says ICC's Rick Weiland. "He will enable the Code Council to expand and enhance products and services and he brings ICC a new level of expertise and credibility in the plumbing and mechanical marketplace."

Code Council members design, install and inspect the most important life safety systems in a building including flammable gas lines; safe drinking water systems; fresh air; medical gas delivery; safe sanitary waste removal; and the efficient transport of explosive gases and dusts from a building. The statistics point to the fact that to truly serve our members and the building safety community, the Code Council must enhance our activity, participation and investment in the plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas (PMG) areas.

After careful study, research and input, a comprehensive strategic plan was developed and implemented to bring awareness of the Code Council's PMG expertise and participation in this area. The key focus will be to expand membership activity, enhance the Council's technical experience, and collaborate with stakeholders in the plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas industry. This is an all-inclusive approach to strengthen the coordination of the Code Council's family of codes, and it is already having an impressive impact. Organizations and members alike are reaching out to be a part of the activity.

Keys to Success

Although the PMG program is in the early implementation phase, it is moving quickly. ICC participated in chapter meetings and conferences across the country to share their vision for a vibrant PMG program. ICC staff has presented at industry organizations' annual conferences and exhibited at important trade shows and expos nationwide. The ICC Washington, DC, headquarters office has been a common meeting place to share the International Code Council's vision of inclusiveness. By reaching out to key industry stakeholders to discover areas of common ground among their membership groups they have made great strides in understanding the needs and found opportunities for organizations to work together. ICC has noted that this has been an especially successful venture. They have indicated they will continue to develop friendships in hopes of creating mutually beneficial partnerships. Representatives from organizations including Underwriters Laboratories, National Sanitation Foundation, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors National Assn. and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America have all come to the table open minded and willing to share their ideas and visions as to ways that they can collectively improve the industry.

ICC accepted an invitation to attend the World Skills competition in conjunction with attending the World Plumbing Council's executive board meeting in Tokyo, Japan. They have been approved as a voting member of the World Plumbing Council and it has been an exciting opportunity for the membership to share its vision for a safer world while simultaneously learning from other worldwide experts.

ICC PMG Committee Membership

In order for this exciting initiative to become a complete success, membership involvement is crucial. It is the cornerstone of the ICC association. How can you help? Establish a new PMG chapter in your area, join a PMG-related committee within the organization, volunteer to be on other industry related task teams and committees, submit an article of interest to the Building Safety Journal, represent the Code Council at a local trade show, or just call and ask how to help.

For more information, contact Jay Peters at (888) 422-7233, ext. 3299.

Ron George specializes in plumbing, piping, fire protection and hvac design. He also provides  plumbing/mechanical code and product standard consulting services and forensic investigations of mechanical system failures.