Since the International Code Council was formed more than a decade ago, it has become the hallmark professional Membership association dedicated to providing its Members and building industry professionals with the tools they need to ensure the public's safety in the built environment. ICC looks forward to working with our Members and partnering with others to continue to advance this critical mission in the years to come.

Disaster Response Network Supports Storm-Damaged Communities. Anticipating the needs of jurisdictions for assistance in the aftermath of the recent tornadoes, the Disaster Response Network is active. Jurisdictions can access a database of volunteers to assist with building damage assessment, inspections and other code-related functions. Jurisdictions can call the Disaster Support Hotline at 888-ICC-SAFE (888-422-7233), ext. 5238. More information is available on this page of the ICC website. Click on the "Disaster Network" tab in the "ICC Important Information" section.

ICC Board of Directors Seeking Candidates for Chief Executive Officer Position. The International Code Council Board of Directors is accepting applications for the position of Chief Executive Officer. Reporting directly to the Board, the CEO is accountable for the leadership, management and success of the association to ensure the realization of strategic goals that are consistent with the long-range interests of ICC.

Give An Ordinary Room an Extraordinary Purpose. As a building safety professional, you know safe rooms save lives during high-wind events including tornados and hurricanes. As our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones and their homes in recent tornados, here is a tool you can use to make your community safer.

May 22, 2013| ALSC Changes Southern Pine Design Values. The ALSC Board of Review approved changes to design values for all grades and all sizes of visually graded Southern Pine and Mixed Southern Pine lumber, with a recommended effective date of June 1, 2013 to allow for their orderly implementation. Click here for more information.

May 20, 2013 | Code Council Seeks Nominations for Honorary Members. The International Code Council Board of Directors is accepting nominations for Honorary Members until July 1. An Honorary Member is a person who has rendered outstanding service to the Code Council. 

May 20, 2013 | Building Safety Month Raises Awareness of Backyard Safety. The upcoming Memorial Day holiday signals the beginning of outdoor fun, especially in the backyard. The International Code Council’s Building Safety Month 2013 reminds everyone to take measures to avoid unsafe conditions in the backyard.

May 20, 2013 | Code of Honor Scholarships Application Period Now Open. The scholarships help to ensure the I-Codes reflect the consensus view of officials at all levels of government by providing funding to Governmental Member Voting Representatives seeking to participate in the Public Comment Hearings, Oct. 2–10, in Atlantic City, N.J. Deadline for submission is July 12.

May 20, 2013 | Celebrate Building Safety Month. Building Safety Month will be celebrated by ICC Members and communities during the month of May. The theme for the month is "Code Officials Keep You Safe." Each week of Building Safety Month spotlights a specific area of building safety: Fire Safety and Awareness; Disaster Safety and Mitigation; Backyard Recreation and Pool Safety; and Energy and Green Building. Watch the ICC website, publications and social media for details. ICC invites everyone to join Building Safety Month by practicing safety every day. Click here for more details.

May 15, 2013 | View Group B Committee Action Hearings Results. After ICC Members and other building safety professionals discussed, debated and took action on about 2,000 code changes, the 2013 Group B Committee Action Hearings are complete and the results are available online.

May 15, 2013 | ICC and SRCC Leadership Announce Solar Water Heating Standard Initiative. The Code Council has announced a call for Standards Development Committee members to develop two new ICC/Solar Rating & Certification Corporation standards through the ICC’s ANSI accredited standards development process.

May 15, 2013 | President Obama Designates May 2013 as National Building Safety Month. President Barack Obama signed a proclamation stating: "When natural disasters and other hazards put American lives at risk, robust codes and standards for our buildings play an important role in keeping us safe."

May 13, 2013 | Code Council Seeks Nominations for 2013 Awards. Nominate an individual or group whose contributions to building safety, code compliance, fire prevention, sustainability, public service or community service are exemplary. Award recipients will be honored and recognized publicly for their accomplishments during the 2013 ICC Annual Conference in Atlantic City, N.J.

May 13, 2013 | Sponsored Scholarships Now Available. Children of code enforcement agency personnel whose jurisdictional authority is an active ICC Governmental Member have the opportunity to apply for five Sponsored Scholarships. Only one application is needed to apply for all the scholarships. Deadline for submissions is June 28.

May 13, 2013 | ICC Issues Call for Participants on Three Codes and Standards Committees. Applications are being accepted for membership on the I-Codes Referenced Standard Committee, Solar Thermal Standard Consensus Committee and Commissioning Standard Consensus Committee. May 24 is the deadline to apply.

May 13, 2013 | New International Energy Conservation Code Resource Page Available. ICC and the U.S. Department of Energy Building Energy Codes Program are collaborating to provide resources featuring the latest in building energy code products and services to assist code officials. This page includes information on training, certification, resources and publications related to energy code compliance.

May 10, 2013 | ICC, Fiatech Venture Takes Code Compliance into Digital Age. The International Code Council and Fiatech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that supports a shared vision to advance the effectiveness and efficiency of building design, construction and code compliance through the use of advanced technologies and practices represented by the Fiatech AutoCodes Project. 

May 9, 2013 | HUD Proposes to Replace FHA Building Inspectors with ICC-Certified Inspectors and Code Officials. A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development proposal to eliminate Federal Housing Administration inspectors recognizes the quality of the work performed by ICC Members and all jurisdictional code officials.

May 8, 2013 | CSA Group to Join ICC in Development of North American Standard for Rainwater Collection Systems. The Code Council and CSA Group announce the joint development of a new CSA/ICC 805 Rainwater Collection System Design and Installation standard to help ensure the basic safety and performance of rainwater collection systems.

May 7, 2013 | ICC Evaluation Service Initiating Transition to New Inspection Policy and Procedures. To comply with ISO/IEC 17065, ICC-ES will sign contracts with approved third-party agencies wishing to perform inspections related to ICC-ES evaluation reports. Inspection activities will continue under the current procedures until Jan. 1, 2014.

Jan. 29, 2013 | ICC Global Members to Benefit from New Partnership with IAS. Code Council Members who reside and work outside of the U.S. will be better served by the association’s recent move of its Global Services Division to the International Accreditation Service, an ICC subsidiary. IAS works with regulatory agencies as well as public and private industry in 26 countries around the world.

Jan. 25, 2013 | Sandy to Boost Construction Jobs as Rebuilding Spurred. In the most adverse way you'd ever want to see positive growth, demand for construction workers is likely to receive a boost as homeowners in coastal areas of New York and New Jersey rebuild after their properties were devastated by flooding and heavy winds. An estimated 95,000 damaged homes—with a value of $40 billion—located in the coastal areas hit hardest by Sandy are expected to repair and rebuild. The total reconstruction effort nets out to around a $10–$15 billion loss for the economy as a whole; all coming about as U.S. construction employment is still recovering from the last recession, with about 2.2 million fewer jobs today than the 2007 peak of 7.7 million workers.

Jan. 25, 2013 | ICC, APA Team Publish IRC Lateral Bracing Guide.
A new illustrated book, co-published by the International Code Council and APA—The Engineered Wood Association, provides an explanation of the lateral bracing provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC). The Guide to the 2012 IRC Wood Wall Bracing Provisions, the third edition in the series, details the correct application of the code-bracing requirements, explores the history and theory behind wall bracing, and provides real-world bracing examples. The book is now available in hardcopy and digital format.

Disaster Network

ICC Disaster Response Network. As you know, in the wake of a natural disaster the definition of normal goes out the window. Once a disaster hits, there are many emergency procedures that must be put in place. It's only after these immediate needs have been taken care of that the focus on recovery and rebuilding can really begin. You can request a list of volunteers who can help you with your post-disaster inspection efforts.

Wanted: Public Safety Volunteers. Would you be interested in helping out jurisdictions in the aftermath of a natural disaster? Click here to volunteer.

Task Force Promotes Preparedness, Provides Guidance, Coordinates Housing Resources for Communities. The National Disaster Housing Task Force, composed of Federal agency partners, provides interagency coordination to develop plans, procedures and guidelines for state and local authorities use to enhance preparedness and program knowledge and provides other tools for communities. 

Test Your Disaster Knowledge. Depending on where you live, some sort of severe weather likely has affected your life this year and cost you money.

The Architect's Role in Disaster. Natural disasters are unpreventable, not unpredictable: The U.S. sustains about 10 a year.

Disaster Support Hotline. ICC Member Jurisdictions in need of assistance during their rebuilding efforts can call the Code Council's DISASTER SUPPORT HOTLINE at 888-422-7233 (ext. 5238).

ICC Partners with MBI on Disaster Relief. ICC and the Modular Building Institute have teamed up to assist Building and Fire Officials in tornado-stricken states that need temporary office space.

ATC-45 Webinar. ICC and Applied Technology Council are offering a recorded webinar on the ATC-45 Field Manual: Safety Evaluation of Buildings after Wind Storms and Floods to assist in jurisdictions' recovery efforts.

Reduce Your Hurricane Risk This Season. June marks the start of hurricane season and extra concerns this year based on an above-average activity prediction from experts display the importance of hurricane-related codes, hurricane-safety information and hurricane preparedness.

FEMA Identifies Code Council as Earthquake Partner. The 2011 Directory of FEMA Earthquake Partners provides contact information for more than 300 organizations, including the Code Council, and individuals involved in earthquake mitigation at the state and federal levels as well as the non-governmental sector. The document is a free download.

Join the Conversation in ICC's New Codes & Standards Discussion Forum

Talk with industry peers on issues that matter to you. Join industry professionals in exchanging knowledge and ideas with peers in an online community experience. The ICC Code & Standards Discussion Forum allows both Members and nonmembers to share opinions and discuss the I-Codes and related subjects in an interactive environment.

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