Mayor signs bill to enact NYC Plumbing Code

		Mayor Michael Bloomberg signs the bill that enacts the New York City Plumbing Code, which is based on the International Plumbing Code. Pictured standing are (L-R): Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, Councilman David Weprin, co-sponsor of the bill, Councilwoman Madeline Provenzano, Councilman Peter Vallone, co-sponsor of the bill, and Executive Director of the Office for People with Disabilities Matthew Sapolin.

Last week, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed Intro 478A, which enacts the New York City Plumbing Code based on ICC's International Plumbing Code® (IPC®). The bill also includes several administrative provisions and highlights the intent to adopt 2003 editions of the International Building Code® (IBC®), International Fuel Gas Code® (IFGC®), International Mechanical Code® (IMC®), and the International Residential Code® (IRC®).
This piece of legislation, known as a "blueprint bill," will lay the foundation for more legislation that is expected to be introduced in the spring or summer of 2006. Next year's bill will formerly adopt the IBC, IRC, IFGC, and IMC along with the NYC modifications. It is anticipated that all the codes will have an effective date of July 2007.

ICC and IAPMO set February date
for continued joint code discussions

	ICC and IAPMO officials at the recent meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas, included (L-R) ICC Board President Henry Green and IAPMO President Christopher Salazar.

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and ICC will meet in February 2006 to determine whether the organizations can agree on the essential elements to create joint plumbing and mechanical codes, according to representatives of both organizations.
Board members of both IAPMO and ICC and staff met in Little Rock, Arkansas, last month to continue their ongoing discussion of a joint venture to create single plumbing and mechanical codes for the country. Click here to read more.

Blanco signs Louisiana building code bill

	Governor Kathleen Blanco at a press conference during the 2005 Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature. (Office of the Governor)

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco signed a bill last week that calls for the state to adopt the International Building Code® (IBC®), International Existing Buildings Code® (IEBC®), International Residential Code® (IRC®), International Mechanical Code® (IMC®), and the International Fuel Gas Code® (IFGC®).
The bill applies to buildings rebuilt in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and to all buildings built or rebuilt statewide starting in 2007. Under the legislation, the 11 parishes hit hardest by the hurricanes must put the new code into effect in 30 days if those parishes already have inspectors. If they do not, they have 90 days to begin enforcement. The bill also establishes a 19-member council to oversee enforcement of the codes by local governments. ICC plans to provide free codes to Louisiana parishes that are declared federal disaster areas because of the hurricanes.

Witt recognizes Canadian carpenters
for hurricane work and donations

	(L-R) ICC CEO and Foundation Chairman James Lee Witt receives a $15,000 donation from Gary H. Warren, Political Director, Louisiana Carpenters Regional Council; Gov. Kathleen Blanco; Charlie Manning, Director of Organizing, Louisiana Carpenters Regional Council; and Jason Engels, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Louisiana Carpenters Regional Council

ICC CEO James Lee Witt traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last week to recognize carpenters from Ontario, Canada, for their work with hurricane-recovery efforts in the region. The Canadian Carpenters Union sent 19 members to assist with hurricane-recovery efforts and have donated a total of $150,000 to the Louisiana Regional Council of Carpenters. In return, the Louisiana Carpenters Union donated $15,000 to the International Code Council Foundation (ICCF) to be used to fund code books and training materials for building officials in the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina.
More information on ICCF, including how to donate to the Members Helping Members hurricane relief fund, can be found by clicking here.

ICC participates in NIST hurricane study
ICC is among 16 organizations taking part in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assessment of physical structures damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The partnership will document data on damage to major buildings, infrastructure facilities, and residential structures due to wind, wind-borne debris, storm surge, surge-borne debris, and flooding.
To read more news from ICC on this year's devastating hurricane season, click here.

Witt provides expertise on hurricane panel

	ICC CEO James Lee Witt (right) discusses roles for emergency response and management during a recent C-SPAN broadcast.

ICC CEO James Lee Witt was a panelist for a discussion on "Disaster Preparedness & Relief: Hurricanes Don't Respect Borders" during last week's Caribbean Central American Action (CCAA) 28th Miami Conference on the Caribbean Basin. The discussion focused on disaster relief and mitigation, hazard analysis, and relief efforts that must go beyond emergency aid once disasters strike.
Witt was also a panelist for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) discussion regarding the roles and respective authorities of government officials for emergency response and consequence management. The panel discussion, recently broadcast on C-SPAN, examined how the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina exposed shortcomings in the response to the disaster at all levels of government. The CSIS is an independent, non-partisan, public policy organization.
An op/ed article written by Witt, which addresses the important role that building codes play in hurricane reconstruction efforts, has been published in several newspapers across the country. To read the article, click here.

DRN remains source for governments
in need of hurricane assistance
The ICC Disaster Response Network (DRN) has helped officials identify and deploy volunteers from across the U.S. to assist with hurricane recovery efforts. The volunteers are helping communities identify substantially damaged buildings under the National Flood Insurance Program, conducting habitability inspections, and working with agencies as they struggle to face the growing volume of permit applications and inspections.
If your jurisdiction is in need of assistance with its hurricane recovery efforts, you can access the DRN by clicking here. To volunteer your expert services to areas affected by this year's devastating hurricane season, click here.

ICC helps local members build media relations
New materials are available on the ICC Web site to help local building and fire officials work with their local media. The information, located on the members-only section of the Web site, includes fill-in-the-blank news releases to help members promote their departments' dedication to public safety. The page also includes a short publication titled, "Building a Media Relationship," which will help you work with your local media, prepare for interviews and survive a media crisis. For more information, click here.

Quality Control Manuals needed
for ICC-ES Reports
Applicants for new ICC-ES Evaluation Reports (or conversions of legacy reports to ICC-ES reports) are required to submit a quality control manual for the products to be covered in the report. If there is more than one manufacturing location for the products, there may be one manual that applies to all locations, or there may be separate manuals for each location. In each case, every manual must comply with the ICC-ES Acceptance Criteria for Quality Control Manuals (AC10).
Click here for more information.

Institute addresses administrative and legal
aspects of building department management
The scope of work for code officials is not limited to issuing permits and conducting building inspections. Today, code officials must administer and enforce policies, interpret and apply legal provisions, and possess strong communication, personnel, and financial management skills in order to lead their building departments.
Industry professionals can develop these skills at the upcoming ICC 2006 Code Official Institute, Jan. 23-26, 2006, in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a must-attend event for building department administrators who want to improve their management skills. Participants in the four-day institute have the opportunity to earn continuing education units (CEUs) and AIA learning units (LUs).
For more information or to register for the 2006 Code Official Institute, click here.

Deadline near for Public Comments
on ICC/ANSI A117.1
The ICC (ASC A117) Consensus Committee on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities is developing the next edition of the ICC/ANSI A117.1 standard. Tomorrow, Dec. 15, 2005, is the deadline to submit suggested revisions or additions through public comment forms.
For more information and to access a public comment form, click here.

UST Certification can help states meet
new federal regulations
States can prepare for new federal requirements for underground storage tanks (UST) with International Code Council (ICC) UST certification. The UST Compliance Act of 2005, recently signed by President Bush, requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop guidelines for UST operator training. Once established, state environmental protection departments will have to implement training programs to receive federal funds.
For more information on how to obtain UST certification from ICC, click here.

IAS training program provides overview of
ISO/IEC 17025 requirements
The International Accreditation Service (IAS) will conduct a training program for Uncertainty in Measurement on Feb. 1- 2, 2006, in Whittier, California. The training program is designed to provide a complete overview of the ISO/IEC 17025 requirements concerning Measurement Certainty (MU).
The program offers participants an initial step to understanding the accreditation requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 as applicable to MU calculations. Measurement processes and the concepts of effectively estimating and controlling MU will also be covered.
For registration information on the IAS training program, click here.

AMBO Educational Institute features Management/Leadership Academy
Featuring topics of interest for all code-enforcement professionals, the 2006 Association of Minnesota Building Officials (AMBO) Educational Institute will be held February 6-10, 2006, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Separate tracks will provide a week-long course of education for all levels of inspection knowledge and experience.
Highlights of the institute include a Management/Leadership Academy, presented by the University of Minnesota-Humphrey Institute, for all management-level personnel, and two-day tradeshow where local and national suppliers will be available to "talk shop" about the latest in construction methods and materials.
The 2006 AMBO Institute is an excellent opportunity for you to network and compare notes with other code inspection professionals. For more information, click here.

ICC-ES seeks committee applicants
ICC-ES has put out a call for persons interested in serving on its Evaluation Committee and its new Industry Advisory Committee. Members of both committees are self-nominated, and are appointed by the ICC-ES Board of Directors. The Evaluation Committee is made up of code officials and meets three times a year — in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Birmingham — to consider building product acceptance criteria and other ICC-ES business. The new Industry Advisory Committee will meet as it sees fit (at least once a year) to advise ICC-ES on communications issues, customer service, and cooperative efforts with government and industry. Candidates for the Advisory Committee need to be familiar with the ICC-ES program and have an established record in the building industry.
For more information and application materials, click here or call 1-562-699-0543.

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