Year: 2024

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Western U.S. Wildfire Response 

Update on Western U.S. Wildfires

As wildfires continue to devastate the Western U.S., the International Code Council urges its members and partners to remain vigilant. This week, wildfires have severely impacted Oregon, Idaho, California, New Mexico and Colorado, resulting in significant destruction and displacement. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, large wildfires have consumed 2.3 million acres to date in 2024.

Oregon and Idaho: These states are grappling with megafires, especially in the eastern regions. Counties such as Baker, Malheur, Harney, Gilliam and Morrow are particularly affected.

Colorado: Near Denver, three wildfires, including the Stone Canyon and Quarry Fires, have caused severe damage. The Stone Canyon fire, which has burned more than 1,500 acres, tragically claimed one life. The Quarry Fire, previously known as the Wildland Fire, has led to rapid evacuations in Jefferson County due to its fast spread.

California: The Park Fire, which began on July 24 in Northern California, has now become the fifth-largest wildfire in state history, it has burned over 391,000 acres. Efforts to contain the blaze continue as the fires threaten various communities.

We extend our deepest concern to all those affected and are dedicated to supporting our members and partners during this challenging time. The Code Council provides resources for post-disaster building safety assessments, supplemental staffing and other needs that may arise.

Jurisdictions may request assistance here through the Disaster Response Alliance (DRA), a national database of skilled, trained and certified building safety professionals.

If you need assistance, please reach out to us through your regional Government Relations representative or directly to Karl Fippinger, the Code Council’s Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation.

Acknowledging the severe consequences of wildfires, the Code Council stresses the importance of adhering to the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code® (IWUIC) for buildings sited in areas at-risk of wildfires. This includes using ignition-resistant building materials, implementing measures to mitigate ember penetration, maintaining defensible spaces around properties and ensuring adequate access for fire services.

California is on-track to adopt the IWUIC as the basis for its California Wildland-Urban Interface Code by the end of this year. The proposal will be heard by the full California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) in December for final approval.
For more information on wildfire mitigation, we invite you to visit our Wildfire Information and Resources page.

Awardees Announced for U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Grant Program to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning  

Washington D.C. – Awardees have been announced for the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Grant Program (COPPGP) began by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the wake of the tragic deaths of Minnesota brothers Nicholas and Zachary Burt, who lost their lives to a faulty home heater in 1996. 

The grant awards funding to state, tribal and territorial governments that adopt recent editions of building safety codes—including the International Fire Code® and the International Residential Code®—that require CO poisoning prevention measures. The International Code Council joined construction industry associations and national fire and life safety organizations in support of the legislation’s passage and ensured that the legislation supported communities that have adopted the International Codes®. 

The COPPGP grant is part of the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act which was signed into law in 2022. The grant program provides funding to eligible jurisdictions to purchase and install CO alarms in residential homes and facilities such as childcare centers, public schools and senior centers. The grant also funds training and public programs to educate on carbon monoxide poisoning prevention.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. More than $3 million in grants was awarded to 22 state and local governments. Learn more and view the full list of awardees here.  

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About the International Code Council 
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. 

John “JC” Hudgison Appointed to International Code Council Board of Directors

Washington D.C. – The International Code Council has appointed John “JC” Hudgison, CBO, Construction Services Center Manager and Chief Building Official for the City of Tampa, Florida, to its 2023-2024 Board of Directors. Appointed by Code Council Board President Stuart D. Tom, P.E., CBO, FIAE and ratified by the full Board, Hudgison assumed the vacated Section F seat on July 22, 2024.

Hudgison brings over 17 years of experience in architecture, construction management and building code enforcement to the Board. He is both a Certified Building Official and a Building Code Administrator and is actively involved with the Code Council, including leadership positions in multiple important committees and councils. Hudgison was the 2022 recipient of the Code Council’s prestigious Emory R. Rodgers Leadership in Building Safety Fellowship, and he also currently serves on the National Institute of Building Sciences’ Board of Directors.

“JC’s leadership on pivotal committees within the Code Council makes him an ideal addition to our Board of Directors,” said President Tom. “With his extensive industry knowledge and years of experience, I am confident he will provide valuable insight and guidance to our organization.”

Read more about the International Code Council Board of Directors and its mission here.

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About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

Protect Safety Codes by Supporting Advancement of the Pro Codes Act 

Protect Safety Codes by Supporting Advancement of the Pro Codes Act

The Pro Codes Act, which ensures non-profit standards developers can continue to fund the development and updating of safety codes, will be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives as soon as this Monday, July 22, 2024. The Code Council asks that you join us and a broad coalition of building and fire safety organizations by clicking HERE by July 22nd to ask your Member of Congress to support this important legislation.  

America's codes and standards, which ensure public health and safety, are developed by non-profit organizations like the International Code Council (at no cost to taxpayers) through a rigorous, resource-intensive, and consensus-based process. We fund our code development and updating of these codes through selling digital and printed formats, made possible by copyright protection. Our homes, workplaces, schools, and hospitals are safer, more sustainable, and more resilient thanks to the work of our members and these continuously improved codes and standards. 

To protect this process and prevent unauthorized and erroneous copies of the codes from being published, we’ve worked with a coalition of standards developing organizations and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to draft and advance the Pro Codes Act. 

Following overwhelming support this spring in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee (19 supporting to 4 opposing), the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider Pro Codes as soon as this Monday, July 22, 2024. Please consider adding your voice to this effort by filling out this form, asking your Members of Congress to support it. 

International Code Council Selected for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Grant to Advance Environmental Product Declarations

Washington, D.C.– The International Code Council has been selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive $3.5 million through the Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Construction Materials and Products grant.

ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) will use this grant funding to generate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) in partnership with the states of Washington and Oregon. An EPD provides increased transparency regarding the environmental impacts of products using established international standards. Architects, engineers, general contractors, specifiers and other users can then make appropriate, informed product selections. Learn more about EPDs here.

“EPDs are an important mechanism for reducing the climate impacts of buildings and aid designers, contractors and code officials in determining which building materials are the most sustainable,” said Code Council Vice President of Innovation Ryan Colker. “We commend the EPA for realizing the value of EPDs and look forward to working with manufacturers throughout the Pacific Northwest to expand their availability.”

Through the Pacific Northwest (PNW) EPD Partnership, the project focuses on developing facility-specific EPDs for concrete, asphalt, steel, wood and emerging products such as salvage wood and roofing. This partnership will take a collaborative approach to significantly improve the availability and quality of facility-specific, third-party verified EPD’s for building products and materials made and used in Oregon, Washington and the greater PNW region. This project intends to provide more than 200 manufacturers in the PNW with free support to develop more than 1,000 new EPDs.


In addition to providing free EPD verification, the project includes a three-pronged approach to expand EPD availability and use: training on materials, developing a structural wood EPD tool and providing technical support for emerging products to develop and verify EPDs. This project will also have an education, outreach and technical assistance component, primarily focused on businesses producing building materials.

“Low-carbon construction strategies are an important part of our work to decarbonize buildings and support the transition to a clean energy future,” said Assistant Director of the Washington State Commerce Energy Division Michael Furze. “This funding will help us implement Washington’s Buy Clean and Buy Fair policy and encourage the development of regional partnerships that advance the transition to low-carbon construction.”

“This funding will bring expertise and tools to support hundreds of construction material manufacturers serving our region to assess and disclose – and ultimately, reduce – the environmental impacts of their products,” said Built Environment Specialist with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Rita Haberman. “This will strengthen work Oregon DEQ and our partners have been doing to bolster the development of EPDs for nearly a decade.”

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About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

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Guideline 8

ICC Guide 8 (G8)

Professional Qualifications for Hydrogen Systems in the Built Environment

The Code Council and Center for Hydrogen Safety have opened a new project to develop Guide 8, Professional Qualifications for Hydrogen Systems in the Built Environment.  This new guide will establish minimum qualification requirements for professionals involved with hydrogen systems in the built environment. The guide is intended to align with candidate and existing ANSI standards and cover all aspects of hydrogen production and distribution systems within buildings, including piping, appliances, equipment, and components, for heating and energy purposes. When completed, the guide will provide qualification requirements for  the following professions:

  • Design Professionals and Engineers
  • Plans Examiners
  • Installers
  • Inspectors
  • Auditors
  • Maintenance Personnel
  • Trainers/Instructors

2025 Guide 8 meeting dates include: Jun 12, Jun 26, Jul 10, Jul 24, Aug 7, Aug 21, Sep 4, Sep 18, Oct 2, Oct 16, Oct 30, Nov 13, Dec 4, and Dec 18. All meetings will be 1:30-3pm Central (2:30-4pm Eastern) in virtual format using Microsoft Teams.

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2024.08.01 | G08 Committee Applications Open

The G08 committee call for committee applications is open.

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2027 IECC Commercial and Residential Scope and Intent Draft for Public Comment

The International Code Council Board of Directors has developed a draft scope and intent for the 2027 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC®) based on feedback from the 2024 IECC appeals process. Accompanying this draft is a commentary provided by the Board of Directors on the revisions made to the scope and intent. The draft scope and commentary can be found at this link.  This draft will be open for public comment until Monday, August 19, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Public comment will be accepted through the following form. Following review and consideration of the public comments, the Board of Directors will then set the final scope and intent statements for the 2027 IECC.

We are now accepting applications for IECC Consensus Committee membership for the 2027 code development cycle. The application can be accessed through the following link. Applications will be accepted until Monday, August 19, 2024, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Applications for subcommittee voting members will be open in the coming months.

This collective effort is vital in maintaining the trust and integrity foundational to our shared commitment to building safety and compliance.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support in these efforts. Together, we can overcome this challenge and continue to ensure the highest standards of safety and integrity in building practices.