COVID-19 and the Building Safety Community

Message from the President and CEO

These are hard times. We are all affected in some way by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and we don’t know what the future will hold. We assure you that the International Code Council is working diligently to provide the products, services and resources you need to do your jobs. 

Safe buildings and resilient communities are more important now than ever before. We are spending more time in our homes. These buildings must be structurally sound, have adequate plumbing and promote good ventilation. And, no matter the crisis, disasters don’t take a breather. Hurricane season is right around the corner, and wildfires, tornados and floods can happen at any time. The work our members do is essential to the welfare and sustainability of our communities. 

That’s why we have asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to continue to classify building and fire departments as essential services during this pandemic. Code officials ensure that all buildings – including healthcare infrastructure – are built and maintained for occupant safety. Code compliance cannot be put on hold. 

Continuing to perform essential services during the pandemic means going virtual for many. We surveyed building and fire departments to find out how code officials are coping with the professional challenges brought on by COVID-19. Learn how your colleagues are keeping up with inspections, building permits and new construction in the new virtual business environment by downloading the infographic and report. The survey is ongoing, so it’s not too late if you haven’t participated yet. Submit your responses here. 

Also of interest is our new Coronavirus Response Center. We have compiled aggregated information from the Code Council, governments, and building and fire prevention departments around the world. We highlight relevant virtual products, solutions, services and best practices to support business continuity for the building safety community. 

As your membership association, we’re here to support you. During this time, we’ve expanded our library of free courses to help you get the CEUs you need when in-person training options aren’t available. We’ve extended deadlines and continue to provide the digital code resources you need. 

As always, if you have questions, please contact our Customer Success Center team at customersuccess@iccsafe.org or 888-ICC-SAFE (888-422-7233), ext. 0.