Cleveland Battalion Chief DeCrane Earns Fire & Life Safety Award

City of Cleveland, Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Prevention Battalion Chief Sean DeCrane is the 2013 Excellence in Fire & Life Safety Award recipient. The award, sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC) and the Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS) of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), honors those who have dedicated themselves to saving lives and property through the development of codes, fire-prevention practices and leadership techniques. The award is presented annually during Fire-Rescue International, scheduled this year for Aug. 15 in Chicago.

Chief DeCrane represents the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) in the ICC code development process and participates in the Building Officials and Fire Service Membership (FSMC) Councils, serving on the FSMC Governing Committee. He is serving as the Chair of ICC’s International Fire Code Committee, which is developing the 2015 edition of the International Fire Code. He has been representing the IAFF since 2006.

He has worked on creating educational modules for the IAFF website to educate firefighters on how the code impacts firefighter safety, how to get involved in the code adoption process and why firefighters need to get involved with the code process. He has established a blog on the IAFF website on “Protecting Our Work Environment” and maintains updates based on ICC and NFPA code processes. DeCrane presents a seven-hour workshop, “Firefighter safety and the Building Codes: A necessary Partnership.” Funding is through private partnerships.

DeCrane is a member of the NFPA 1 Technical Committee, the Steering Committee for Vision 20/20, a national effort comprised of major fire and safety organizations that help define and implement strategies for fire safety practices, and is a frequent contributor to EPARADE. He was the 2010 recipient of the Code Council’s Fire Service Award.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world’s leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.