For Immediate Release
October 10, 2003
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ICC conference marks many firsts
There were many firsts during the 2003 inaugural conference
and business meeting of the International Code Council. It
was the first meeting of the ICC as a single organization.
The first code development changes directly resulting from
9/11 and the Rhode Island nightclub fire moved closer to becoming
code requirements. Members elected the first woman Board President.
The organization also presented its first awards.
Among code changes proposed during the conference, two significant
changes are related to 9/11 and the Rhode Island nightclub
fire. In response to concerns about the fire-resistance rating
of structural elements in high-rise buildings, ICC members
approved a revision to the International Building Code that
will require the structural system to be three-hour fire-resistance
rated instead of the current two-hour requirement. This change
could allow time for more people to escape or be rescued from
a burning high-rise building.
The Rhode Island nightclub fire resulted in a code change
that tightens the threshold for sprinklers. The International
Fire Code Committee voted unanimously to require nightclubs,
restaurants, banquet halls and similar facilities to have
sprinklers if occupancy is more than 100 people. The previous
occupancy for required sprinklers was 300.
Those and other code change proposals will be on the agenda
in May when ICC holds its final code development hearings
for the 2006 I-Codes. For more information on code development,
visit the ICC Web site, www.iccsafe.org.
ICC's first woman president, Anne vonWeller, C.B.O., is
Chief Building Official for Murray City (Utah) Corporation.
"I want to thank everyone of you for coming to Tennessee
to join in ICC's very first annual meeting as a single organization,"
she said in her first address to members. "The code officials
were the first to respond to the demand for a single set of
codes for this country and the first to make it happen."
ICC members elected a new board member. He is Adolf Zubia,
fire chief of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a fire service veteran
who was instrumental in creating the New Mexico Fire Marshals
Association.
ICC also presented its first awards. Paul K. Heilstedt,
one of the driving forces behind the consolidation of the
model code organizations, earned the Bobby J. Fowler Award.
The award, the highest honor given by ICC, cited Heilstedt's
leadership, which played a vital role in the ICC consolidation.
David L. Wismer garnered the Code Official of the Year Award.
Described as "one of the most important code officials
Philadelphia has ever known," Wismer's final act before
he retires will be writing legislation and testifying for
the adoption of the 2003 I-Codes in Philadelphia.
Dave Collins earned the Affiliate Award. In addition to
an illustrious career with AIA, Collins has been active with
ICC and the legacy code groups. He served on numerous committees,
worked with state code-related boards and organizations, and
expressed positions on hundreds of code changes.
Jim Tidwell received ICC's first Fire Service Award. He began
his career as a firefighter and ascended through the ranks
to the position of Fort Worth Executive Deputy Chief and Fire
Marshal. He also has been active in code development.
ICC also presented its first Community Service Awards. Jerry
Mallory of Johnson County, Kansas, was cited for his work
with the county's licensing program, Kansas' Disaster Rapid
Assessment Program and for service as coordinator of the state's
disaster program. Another recipient was Ron Hampton. He founded
the Repair Affair project in Ashland, Kentucky. The City of
Asheville, North Carolina, earned its service award for being
one of the first U.S. jurisdictions to receive a Class 1 ISO
rating for building code enforcement.
The ICC, a 50,000-member association dedicated to building
safety, develops the codes used to construct residential and
commercial buildings, including homes and schools. The majority
of U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose
building safety and fire prevention codes developed by the
ICC.
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