Bill Dupler says he never ceases to be amazed by the modern code development process. "To be involved at this level, for this long, truly has been an honor. I've watched as the code offerings have been expanded year after year. I've also seen how far we have come to get to the point of where the codes are today."

In the last 15 years, Bill Dupler, Deputy County Administrator for Community Development, Chesterfield County, Va., and Code Council Board of Directors President, has seen the population of his jurisdiction double, to an all-time high of about 306,000. The 446 square miles that his office serves has been hit hard by the urban sprawl phenomenon, leading to huge residential developments. At the same time it also has welcomed a wealth of new industrial, office, restaurants and retail developments.

He attributes the continued growth to the general appeal of the area, as well as simple supply and demand. "A shifting population base has made the Southeastern portion of the U.S. a very desirable area to live, work and build in. Land here is relatively reasonable and available and the wages are good."

Through the years, Dupler has called his expertise, and his ICC involvement, into action as he dealt with issues related to the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and Hurricane Gaston in 2004. Both caused significant damage, necessitating the need for grant money to assist in the recovery process. Dupler said it was crucial to obtain grant funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"Because of my experience with, and involvement in ICC, we were able to quickly identify resources to get these grants," Dupler said. "During the recovery operation, through my ICC contacts, I was better able to understand how the FEMA process works."

He noted that the county also received two other grants that assisted in removing homes from the floodplain, another step in improving the safety of area residents.

Meeting and exceeding the expectations of those living in Chesterfield County has become a top priority.

"Our citizens' expectations are greater, and homes are increasingly complex," Dupler said. "Also, in this industry, we have established very high standards, but then what happens to the community—can they afford it? We need to think more in terms of acceptable risk, in a very low-risk tolerant society."

To address the risk issue, Dupler said it comes down to getting information to the general public, about code enforcement, and how it impacts the health, safety and welfare of their day-to-day lives.

"Our folks need to know that in code enforcement, we want to say 'yes,' and we work with our staff to be creative and identify workable solutions. Within the boundaries of the codes, we do everything we can to find adaptive responses for even the most unique requests," Dupler said.

This passion to promulgate information regarding the importance of codes in our society goes back to Dupler's early days in the field. A Philadelphia native, and University of Maryland graduate with a Fire Science degree from the College of Engineering, Dupler started as a fire protection plans examiner, eventually becoming involved in the code change process. A code change quota of 10 per year found Dupler looking at the codes from dozens of different angles and perspectives. From the first moment a code change that he submitted was accepted, more than 25 years ago, he was "hooked."

Fast-forward to 2007. Dupler said he never ceases to be amazed by the modern code development process. "To be involved at this level, for this long, truly has been an honor. I've watched as the code offerings have been expanded year after year. I've also seen how far we have come to get to the point of where the codes are today, it's an overwhelming thought. To have watched modern codes develop through the years has been amazing."

To keep ICC, and its history of successes, headed in the right direction, ICC members will need to work as one unit in the name of code enforcement, Dupler noted. "This could possibly be the biggest challenge—keeping members involved in the code development process as it continues to get more time consuming."

Strong community support from the Chesterfield area makes it easy for Dupler to devote time to ICC duties. Dupler added that Chesterfield County Administrator James J. L. Stegmaier encourages department employees to “get involved and stay involved.” Stegmaier sees Dupler’s involvement in the ICC as a true honor for the county and is impressed with the dedication and commitment of all ICC Members to the Code Council’s mission. Dupler also praised his staff for “picking up the slack” when ICC work calls.

Outside of the office, Dupler admits to being a fisherman who "lives for the tug on the end of the line."