Code Council receives NIBS Award

Each year, the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) recognizes individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service to the Institute, the building community and the nation. This year, the Institute honored the International Code Council with its Institute Honor Award at the annual awards reception and dinner on Jan. 9, 2019, held during its Building Innovation 2019 conference in Washington, D.C. The award is presented to individuals or groups who have made an exceptional contribution to the nation and the building community.

The Code Council received the award along with other sponsors of the updated and expanded Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves Study — the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Economic Development Administration, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, the National Fire Protection Association, and the American Institute of Architects.

“These organizations… provided financial sponsorship, technical engagement and the dissemination of project results,” said NIBS Board Chairman Joseph Donovan upon presenting the award to the sponsors. “Through their participation, the impact of the Institute’s work is greatly expanded.”

The 2018 Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2018 Interim Report highlights the significant savings that result from implementing mitigation strategies in terms of safety, and the prevention of property loss and disruption of day-to-day life. It found that adopting the 2018 International Codes — the most widely used and adopted set of building safety codes in the world — generates a national benefit of $11 for every $1 invested. The national mitigation benefit-cost ratio associated with code adoption is $6 to $1 for floods, $10 to $1 for hurricanes and $12 to $1 for earthquakes, with benefits coming through avoided casualties, post-traumatic stress, property damage, business interruptions and insurance premiums. These findings demonstrate the importance of regularly updated codes and strong code enforcement in order to mitigate damage from natural disasters.

This is the second Institute Honor Award for the Code Council; the first was received in 1997. Additionally, Gerald H. Jones, P.E., past chair of the NIBS Multihazard Mitigation Council and instrumental in the development of the 2005 Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves study, received the award in 2000 for his contributions to improving the seismic safety of the nation’s buildings and their occupants. The Code Council’s Gerald H. Jones Code Official of the Year Award is named in his honor and recognizes individuals whose contributions advance the code enforcement profession.

Click here to view past recipients of the Institute Honor Award.