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IAS to accredit building departments
Building departments and the public they serve will benefit
from a new accreditation program offered by the International
Accreditation Service (IAS). An IAS team of independent evaluators
will evaluate all aspects of a building department's services
to determine if the codes the community has adopted are being
effectively enforced to provide public safety and protect
property.
"IAS is the first to offer nationally recognized accreditation
for code enforcement agencies," said James Lee Witt,
CEO of the International Code Council, a member association
that includes state, county and municipal code enforcement
and fire officials. "IAS accreditation provides building
departments a tool to document strengths, identify areas in
need of improvement and implement solutions that result in
safer communities and happier citizens."
When a building department earns IAS accreditation, it means
the department operates under the highest professional and
technical standards.
The Insurance Services Office, Inc. (ISO), an organization
that provides information on risk assessment of communities
to insurance companies, has signed a memorandum of understanding
that supports the IAS Building Department Accreditation Program.
The quality of a community's building department is a major
factor used by insurers to assign premiums.
"The new IAS accreditation program, and its endorsement
by ISO, is a positive step for jurisdictions that are working
hard to improve public safety," said IAS President Chuck
Ramani. "A community with a building department that
earns IAS accreditation is much more likely to be a safer
place to live, with lower insurance rates."
To learn more about earning third-party recognition through
the IAS Building Department Accreditation Program, click
here, call 1-866-427-4422, or e-mail
IAS.
The International Accreditation Service, a subsidiary of
the International Code Council, assesses and accredits competent
building departments, testing and calibration laboratories,
inspection agencies and fabricator inspection programs. In
operation since 1975, IAS is one of the oldest accreditation
bodies of its type and is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation
recognized worldwide.
