Voice Your Support For I-Codes Adoption in California
The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) is expected to make a recommendation next month on which model codes to use as the basis for the state's building and fire codes. The CBSC's decision for the state's new code adoption cycle will be based on either the ICC's family of International CodesTM (I-Codes®) or the NFPA 1 and 5000 Building and Fire Codes.
On June 11, the CBSC Code Change Committee received recommendations from four state agencies on which model codes to use for the 2004 code cycle. The California Department of General Services/Division of the Architect (DSA), the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and the Office of Statewide Health and Planning and Development (OSHPD) all recommended use of the I-Codes. The State Fire Marshal's Office voted in favor of NFPA 5000 despite the overwhelming fire services grassroots support for the I-Code.
The I-Codes have received numerous endorsements from local governments and jurisdictions, professional associations and industry organizations. According to one agency alone, HCD, a total of 68 letters were submitted in favor of the I-Codes while only seven were submitted in favor of NFPA. Three out of the seven were from members of the State Fire Marshal's Fire and Life Safety Advisory Board.
In its 2003 Mode Code Review Committee Report, the California Building Officials (CALBO) urges the CBSC to adopt the International Building Code® (IBC®), citing the technical merits of the code and ICC's open consensus process and various technical support services. In its report, the CALBO committee states, "The IBC will be easier to enforce, administer, will cost less to implement and has the support services in place that are vital to the day-to-day operations of a city or county building department."
The International Fire Code® (IFC®) has received endorsements from organizations such as the Northern and Southern California Fire Prevention Officers and the Central Coast Fire Prevention Association (CCFPA). In a letter to the Southern Section Fire Code Committee, Fire Prevention Officers Association and the California Fire Chiefs Association, Robert Nolan, chairman of the South Bay Fire Prevention Officers, writes, "We feel it is essential that both building and fire codes selected be from the same set of published codes, and as much as possible, have a reduced impact on state and local jurisdictions and the private sectors of the building and maintenance industry."
A recent online survey of California fire and building officials shows
overwhelming support for adoption of the I-Codes. When asked
which set of codes building officials favored adopting, more
than 88% of the responses chose the I-Codes. When asked the
same question of fire officials, more than 83% of the responses
chose the I-Codes.
Several industry organizations, including the Western Wall & Ceiling Contractors Association (WWCCA)/Technical Services Information Bureau (TSIB), Northern California Drywall Contractors Association and the Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau (NWCB), all support the I-Codes and are urging all building and fire safety officials to do the same. In a recent press release announcing the organizations' endorsement, Jason W. Fell, technical director of the Drywall Information Trust Fund, the technical services and promotional arm of NCDCA, states, "We encourage all building professionals, from labor to management, and from tradesmen to building officials, to provide their support in the continued adoption and development of the I-Codes."
Studies have shown that 97% of counties, cities, municipalities and other jurisdictions that adopt and enforce building and life safety codes in the U.S. are using codes developed by ICC. To date, 43 states and the U.S. Department of Defense are using the IBC while 33 states use the IFC. A combined 33 states use both the IBC and IFC while a total of 43 states use the International Residential Code®.
Proponents of the I-Codes adoption in California are urged to voice their support during the upcoming CBSC Coordinating Council meeting on June 26, 2003, at the Department of Consumer Affairs, 400 R Street, Sacramento, beginning at 10 a.m. There will be public input and discussion sessions of the recommendations that were received on June 11. For more information, contact a Public Policy representative at one of the ICC Regional Offices.
