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Board Profile: William Dupler
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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."
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In the last 15 years, Bill Dupler, Director of Building Inspection
for the County of Chesterfield, Va., and Code Council Board
member, 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
Pete Stith, Deputy County Administrator for Community Development
for Chesterfield County, encourages department employees to
"get involved and stay involved. He 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."
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