ICC Pulse Podcast

The ICC Pulse Podcast is a monthly podcast that offers listeners the inside scoop on the International Code Council and the building safety industry. Episodes of the ICC Pulse Podcast will feature interviews with leading industry experts discussing a wide range of topics including current events and new technologies. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Spotify. Follow the International Code Council on Facebook and Twitter, and spread the word about our podcast using the hashtag #ICCpulsepod.  Have questions about the podcast? Check out our ICC Pulse Podcast FAQs.

2021 Pulse Podcast Topics

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Pulse Podcast Released Episodes

Episode 42

International Building Quality Centre (IBQC) Guidelines for Developing Countries

In the final episode of Season 3 of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Judy Zakreski, Code Council Vice President of Global Services talks with Professor Kim Lovegrove and Professor Alfred Omenya on the newly-released Good Practice Guidelines and Principles for the Development of Building Regulations in Low Income Countries. The Guidelines were developed by the IBQC as a follow up to the more general IBQC Principles for Good Practice Building Regulation, published in September 2020.

Professor Lovegrove is the Chair of the IBQC, an adjunct professor at the University of Canberra, a senior international consultant to the World Bank, and a senior construction lawyer with Lovegrove and Cotton Lawyers, based in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. Professor Omenya is an IBQC Board Member, a practicing architect and expert in sustainable human settlements, and principal researcher and CEO at Eco-Build Africa, a leading consultancy on sustainable urban development for developing countries.

Links to topics referenced in this episode:

Episode 41

Garage Door Safety

In this episode, Steve Jones, Code Council Senior Gov’t Relations Regional Manager talks with Mike Fischer, Executive Director of the International Door Association (IDA); and Gordon Thomas, Technical Director at Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) on the importance of garage door safety. They also share safety tips and resources for inspectors and the public on checking garage doors.

Links to topics referenced in this episode:

Episode 40

Building the next generation of code professionals in black and brown communities

In this episode, John ("JC") Hudgison, Certified Building Official for the City of Tampa & Emerging Leaders Membership Council member talks with Henry Green, former President & CEO of NIBS and former Code Council Board President, and Anthony Floyd, Green Building Program Manager for the City of Scottsdale, on training the next generation in black and brown communities and how we can increase awareness and education about the building safety profession.

Links to topics referenced in this episode:

Episode 39

In this episode, Sara Yerkes, Code Council Senior VP of Government Relations talks with Bob Raymer, Senior Engineer and Technical Director at CBIA Sacramento, about his experience with California’s code adoptions and on his career as a code official.

Episode 38

In this episode, Sara Yerkes, Code Council Senior VP of Government Relations and Lakisha Woods, President and CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) discuss the NIBS and ICC’s shared commitments to resilience and sustainability.

Episode 37

In this episode, Gabe Maser, Code Council Vice President of Government Relations and National Strategy talks with Edward Laatsch, Director of the Planning, Safety and Building Science Division at FEMA about FEMA’s recent report Building Codes Save – A Nationwide Study of Loss Prevention.

Links to topics referenced in this episode:

 

Episode 36

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Code Council Assessment Center Program Manager / Test Developer Doug Hatch talks with Special Inspector and Terracon Senior Project Manager Kenneth Morong about special inspectors and the benefits of special inspections. They also touch on the benefits of a Code Council certification and Kenneth's experience serving on the Exam Development Committee for the Special Inspector exams.

Terracon is an IAS Accredited Special Inspection Agency (SIA-100)

 

Episode 35

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Senior Vice President of Government Relations Sara Yerkes talks with returning guest, Managing Deputy Commissioner of the City of Chicago DOB Grant Ullrich, on the current development of the City of Chicago’s building regulations. Last year, Grant was on the show to talk about the City’s code adoptions. This episode follows how the Code Council and the City are working together on the production of Chicago’s new building regulations.

 

Episode 34

In this season finale episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, we look back at a conversation recorded earlier this year between Code Council Vice President of Government Relations Dottie Mazzarella and President and CEO of the Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA) Lou Coletti on how building officials and contractors in New York City swiftly worked together in response to COVID-19 through prioritizing a commitment to the health and safety of professionals in the built environment to safely conduct constructions projects throughout the year.

 

Episode 33

In this episode of the Pulse Podcast, Code Council Government Relations Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation Karl Fippinger talks with Kevin Scott, President of KH Scott and Associates, about the 2018 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code and Commentary.

Episode 32

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Code Council Chief Knowledge Officer Joan O’Neil talks with Eric “Doc” Wright, Founder & CEO of Vets2PM, where Doc gives a preview of his  keynote speech for ICC Learn Live, which took place the week of November 9.

Episode 31

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Catherine Vinson, Code Council Vice President of Customer Success invites Joan O’Neil, Code Council Chief Knowledge Officer, to talk about the association's digital transformation strategy.
On October 20, 2020, the Code Council will host a live virtual event about digital transformation in the building safety industry.
The event will feature:
• An overview of the new Digital Codes Premium Complete product, a comprehensive online codes and standards database with new features and all access model for content and tools;
• An overview of two online databases with detailed information about code adoptions globally;
• An in-depth look at ICC Learn Live, a week-long virtual education event starting on November 9.
Participation to the digital transformation event is free, but space is limited. Register for the event here.
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Episode 30

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Code Council Government Relations Senior Regional Manager Steve Jones hosts a dialogue with Inspected Director of Government Relations Johnny Goetz, about remote virtual inspections and how building safety professionals can implement this method.

Episode 29

In this episode Code Council Senior Staff Engineer Beth Tubbs leads a discussion about the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and performance-based design.  Tubbs is joined by ARUP Principal and Past President of SFPE Ray Grill and Building Official of Summit, N.J., Gary Lewis. Click here to listen.

Episode 28

In this month's episode, the Code Council’s Vice President of Innovation Ryan Colker leads a discussion on safety procedures for reopening business in the wake of COVID-19. Colker is joined by Chief Executive Officer of the Building Owners and Managers Association Henry Chamberlain and Assistant Director of the Clark County Department of Building & Fire Prevention Sam Palmer.  Click here to listen.

Episode 27

As part two of our copyright series, Code Council Executive Vice President & Director of Business Development Mark Johnson interviews Master Code Professional Glenn Mathewson for his member perspective on copyright issues and the International Codes. Click here to listen.

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Episode 26

Code Council Vice President of Government Affairs Gabe Maser returns to the Pulse Podcast to share information about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which is the third piece of federal legislation meant to address the Coronavirus crisis. Maser discusses the stimulus package and how it can help state, local, tribal and territorial governments. Click here to listen.

Episode 25

In this episode, ICC-ES President Shahin Moinian and NTA President and CEO David Tompos share excitement for the expanded offerings that have come with the acquisition of NTA.  Click here to listen.

Episode 24

Code Council Senior Regional Manager of Government Relations Rick Hauffe hosts a conversation about welcoming the next generation of building safety professionals with members of the Emerging Leaders Membership Council (ELMC), which serves as an entry point for new, motivated members to engage in the Code Council activities. Andre Jaen, from Denver, Colorado, is the new Chair of the ELMC Governing Committee and Allison Cook, from Arlington, Virginia, is serving her first term on the ELMC Governing Committee.
Click here to listen.

Episode 23

Executive Vice President & Director of Business Development Mark Johnson interviews Code Council General Counsel Mel Oncu about the International Codes and copyright issues. Click here to listen.

Episode 22

Code Council Vice President of Global Services Judy Zakreski met with world renowned chemical engineer Dame Judith Hackitt to discuss the Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017, the Hackitt Report and UK Regulatory System. Click here to listen.

Episode 21

As another collaboration with RESNET, Code Council Executive Vice President and Director of Business Development Mark Johnson and RESNET Executive Director Steve Baden discuss the collaboration efforts of the associations to increase energy code compliance and home energy efficiency. Click here to listen.

Episode 20

In this episode of the Pulse Podcast, the Code Council's Vice President of Government Relations Justin Wiley returns to interview Washington, D.C.'s Director of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) Ernest Chrappah. The two discuss DCRA's various initiatives including the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan that focuses on digitization. Click here to listen.

Episode 19

This month Code Council Senior Vice President of Government Relations Sara Yerkes interviews Commissioner Judith Frydland and Deputy Commissioner Grant Ullrich of the Chicago Department of Buildings.  The guests discuss the exciting recent code developments in the City of Chicago. Click here to listen.

Episode 18

In this episode, Code Council Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation Karl Fippinger interviews members of the ICC Fire Service Membership Council Randy Metz and Gary West. The guests discuss the membership council, its new Ad Hoc committee and new building construction and fire safety technologies. Click here to listen.

Special Episode: California Earthquakes

In this special edition episode, we are joined by special guest Ken O’Dell who is a California Structural Engineer, the President of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California and a Principal of California based MHP Structural Engineers. In light of the Searles Valley Earthquakes, O’Dell discusses his work related to seismic activity and shares insight on seismic design provisions in the building code. Click here to listen.

Episode 17

In this episode, we interview Wendy Wan from the New York City Department of Buildings and Terry Whitehill, Portland Oregon’s Building Official. Both are on the Major Jurisdiction Committee. They each share information about the committee, as well as the initiatives of their respective jurisdictions. Click here to listen.

Episode 16

This month we are joined by guest host Bill Spohn, host of RESTalk, as he interviews RESNET’s Ryan Meres and the Code Council’s Dave Walls about the new water ratings standard, water efficiency and conservation. Click here to listen.

Episode 15

This month we are joined by David Naples, a building code official for Remington and Vernick Engineers in Middletown, Delaware. Since 2006, David has been a Master Code Professional, the highest level of Code Council certification. In this episode, we discuss Dave’s career path to MCP certification. Click here to listen.

Episode 14

In this month's episode, we discuss codes and interior design with American Society of Interior Designers CEO Randy Fiser, Hon. FASID. Click here to listen.

Episode 13

Code Council Vice President of Global Services Judy Zakreski appears as the guest host for Episode 13 of the Code Council Pulse Podcast. ASTM International President Kathie Morgan joins Judy for a conversation about global standards. With more than three decades of experience in increasingly strategic and managerial roles at ASTM, Kathie is a respected industry leader and one of the world's prominent voices on standardization-related issues. Click here to listen.

Episode 12

In this month’s episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Code Council Vice President of Federal Relations Gabe Maser gives an update on the federal government after the 2018 midterm elections. Gabe shares insight on the federal government’s involvement with the codes, various legislative agendas related to the built environment and what to expect from the 116th Congress. Click here to listen.

 

Episode 11

Code Council Senior Director of PMG Resources Lee Clifton appears as the guest host for episode 11 of the ICC Pulse Podcast. Clifton's former trainee Damon Premer joins for a conversation about building a career in plumbing. Premer has worked in the plumbing trade for 32 years and is a senior project executive at All Area Plumbing in Commerce, Calif. Click here to listen.

Special Episode

In this special edition episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast we are joined by Matt Paxton, top hoarding expert and featured cleaner on the hit television show HOARDERS. Matt, who served as our keynote speaker at this year’s Annual Conference in Richmond, Va., shares his expertise about a topic that is inextricably linked to building safety, fire prevention and the codes. Click here to listen.

Episode 10

Code Council Vice President of Government Relations and Interim Executive Director for the Alliance for National and Community Resilience (ANCR) Justin Wiley appears as the guest host for Episode 10 of the ICC Pulse Podcast. Resilience expert Ryan Colker joins Justin for a conversation about ANCR. Ryan serves on the ANCR Board of Directors and is the vice president at the National Institute of Building Sciences where he leads the Institute’s efforts to improve the built environment through collaboration of public and private sectors. He shares his resilience expertise and insight on the ANCR’s first benchmark focused on buildings. Click here to listen.

 

Episode 9

Chief Building Official for Davis, California, Greg Mahoney joins us this month to share industry insight on the new phenomenon of tiny homes, including the challenges experienced by code officials and the overall impact on housing affordability. Click here to listen.

Episode 8

Recent Boise High School graduate Therese Etoka joins us for this month's episode to share her story about her advocacy for code adoption in Boise, Idaho.

Episode 7

Code Council Senior Director of PMG Resources Lee Clifton appears as the guest host for episode 7 of the ICC Pulse Podcast. Backflow prevention specialist Bruce Rathburn joins Lee for a conversation about plumbing cross-connection control programs. Rathburn is the past president of his local chapter of the American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) and the immediate past president of the ABPA International. Click here to listen.

Episode 6

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, Sergeant First Class Mike Reese with the Code Services Department of Manhattan, Kansas, joins us to discuss his journey from the military to civilian life as a code official. Click here to listen.

Episode 5

In this episode of the ICC Pulse Podcast, ICC's Senior Vice President of Technical Service Mike Pfeiffer joins as our guest host.  He and special guest Ed Wirtschoreck, ICC Director of Codes, share a comprehensive recap of the Spring Committee Action Hearings that took place in Columbus, Ohio from April 15-23, 2018. Click here to listen.

Episode 4

In this month's episode, the Code Council interviewed Dr. Janet Stout, a world-renowned expert on Legionella and Legionnaire’s disease. Dr. Stout, president and director of Special Pathogens Laboratory in Pittsburgh and a research associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, talks about the dangers of Legionella, where it’s most prevalent and how those at risk can protect themselves. Click here to listen.

Episode 3

In this month’s episode we welcome two guests from the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). John Ingargiola, Lead Physical Scientist of FEMA’s Building Science Branch, and Eric Letvin, FEMA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator of Mitigation join us to discuss pre-disaster mitigation, a prevalent topic after the series of tragic natural disasters in 2017.
To read more, click here.

Episode 2

In episode 2 we talk to Beth Tubbs, a senior staff engineer with the International Code Council Codes and Standards Development department. Tubbs has extensive experience in fire protection engineering and shares insight on the lingering effects of the Grenfell Tower fire in London last year and how the Code Council and others in the codes and standards community have responded.
To read more, click here.

Episode 1

In episode 1, Whitney Doll, the Code Council’s Director of Communications and podcast host, talks with Board of Directors President Jay Elbettar, P.E., CBO, LEED AP, CASp. Jay shares some of his experiences as a code official, plans for 2018 and updates about various Code Council initiatives.
To read more, click here.