U.S. Fire Administrator and Other Building Safety Leaders Join Code Council for Panel Discussion and to Celebrate Building Safety Month

On May 16, 2024, the International Code Council hosted a Building Safety Month panel entitled “Celebrating a ‘Mission Possible’: A Building Safety Month discussion on the progress of the White House National Initiative to Advance Building Codes.” Co-hosted with the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the event took place at the Code Council’s Washington D.C. offices.

White House’s National Initiative to Advance Building Codes

The panel discussion marked the second anniversary of the White House’s National Initiative to Advance Building Codes, highlighting both the progress achieved and the progress remaining. This initiative was created as a government-wide effort to boost national resiliency and reduce energy costs through modern building codes like the International Codes®.

“Through the National Initiative, great strides have been made toward helping better ensure that communities receive the resources they need to strengthen construction in the face of growing hazard risks,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

The event featured federal, state and local partners discussing the National Initiative and the goal of expanding the adoption of resilient codes in hazard-prone and underserved communities in the face of growing disaster risks.

While it was an in-person event, the panel was also livestreamed and can be viewed here.  

White House Deputy National Climate Advisor Mary Frances Repko delivered the keynote address, followed by remarks from U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, who also served as the panel’s moderator.

Panelist Carlos Martín, Director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University, addressed the uneven impact of disasters on underserved communities. Maryia Lackansing, President of Women in Code Enforcement of Virginia, discussed pathways to connect current and future graduates with opportunities in building safety. International Association of Emergency Managers President Justin Kates emphasized the importance of communication between emergency managers and code officials. Code Council Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation Karl Fippinger highlighted the momentum the National Initiative has generated across the federal government in advancing the adoption and effective implementation of hazard-resistant building codes.

Before the panel, FEMA expressed its commitment to Building Safety Month in a press release in which the organization’s Planning, Safety and Building Science Director and lead of the agency’s Building Codes Strategy, Ed Laatsch, discussed the importance of building codes and how they contribute to a more resilient nation.

To learn more about the Code Council’s Building Safety Month campaign, click here.