ICC Region I Spotlights Code Officials’ Impact on Public Safety

The International Code Council’s Region I Chapter increasingly boosts visibility across channels to show why building code officials matter and how they impact public safety.

Established in 2014, ICC Region 1 encompasses California, Hawaii and Nevada and includes 32 Code Council chapters. Its mission emphasizes excellence in education and engagement at the local, regional, national and international levels, promoting a safer built environment.

The tristate region’s increasing multimedia activities earned the Code Council’s 2023 Regions Spotlight Award, honoring strong cooperation among the chapters that make up the region, advancement of professionalism among its members, strong community service and membership growth.

Launched by ICC Region 1 President Tim Spears, the region’s outreach activities brought code professionals together to raise awareness of code personnel accomplishments that improve public safety in the built environment. Their content includes a podcast, spotlight videos with industry leaders and social media engagement with platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Facebook, iHeartRadio, YouTube and others.

“As code officials, much of our work is challenging to quantify,” said Spears, Fire Marshal for the South San Joaquin County Fire Authority. “In public safety and the fire service, a common metric is the amount of property lost or saved; however, the contributions of code officials often go unmeasured. Recognizing our accomplishments not only highlights our critical role but also promotes awareness of the important work we do.”

Amplifying the Important Role of Building Safety Professionals

With a passion for spreading awareness of the importance of building safety professionals, Spears was instrumental in creating and monitoring the Region I website and social media pages to encourage engagement among members and the next generation’s involvement with the Code Council.

His biggest communication challenge? Effectively distributing information.

“Without a budget for publicity, much of our communication relies on grassroots efforts, such as person-to-person interactions and social media,” said Spears. “I leverage a strong professional network of friends who help disseminate and share important information with code officials and other stakeholders. This collaborative approach has been helpful in spreading the message.”

Spears launched the Region I Radio podcast to reach other code professionals and the greater public. As podcast host, Spears interviews building and fire safety leaders including fire chiefs, fire marshals, building officials and code enforcement officers.

“I started the ICC Region I Radio podcast to showcase the outstanding work done daily by all the chapters in Region I,” said Spears. “Building safety, fire safety and code enforcement officers all significantly impact the built environment and occupant safety.”

Spears said the podcast has grown significantly, allowing him to expand discussions to include emerging trends, new technologies and current events.

“By sharing strategies used by others, I believe the podcast has helped me achieve my goal of providing knowledge that may assist listeners in addressing their own challenges,” he said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting the podcast and believe it has made me a better code official.”

ICC Region I’s one-hour Spotlight Videos interview senior-level industry professionals on career topics including how they became a code official, what drives them, how to raise the bar for code professionals, how younger members can prepare themselves for a code career and much more. To date, Spears has completed more than 30 videos with a wide range of local, national and global code professionals that are available via ICC Region I’s website, YouTube, Spotify and other sites.

“When I began my career, I never imagined that I would one day contribute to shaping the narrative in our field,” said Spears. “This opportunity arose through active involvement in local and state associations. Building relationships is crucial in our work, and participating in these associations fosters such connections.”

Expanding Opportunities through the Code Council’s Annual Conference

Spears emphasized that attending the Code Council’s ICC’sAnnual Conference, Expo & Committee Action Hearings allows industry professionals to meet and network with innovators in building and fire safety, expand their professional networks and connect with subject matter experts who can assist with complex issues.

“The annual conference provides an excellent opportunity for all chapters to connect as a region,” he said. “The Region I Chapter meeting, hosted at the conference, allows us to meet in person rather than virtually. The meeting format, developed by the founding board members of Region I, offers unique networking opportunities not typically available. Additionally, the annual conference enables us to connect with other regions, fostering broader collaboration and knowledge sharing.” 

The Code Council’s 2024 Annual Conference, Expo and Committee Action Hearings will be held in Long Beach, California, and promises to be one of the more remarkable conferences. In honor of the Code Council’s 30th anniversary, this year’s conference will feature an exhibit where visitors can explore artifacts from the Code Council’s history and participate in the creation of a time capsule to commemorate this milestone.

Taking Stock: 10 Years In

As this year marks ICC Region I’s 10-year milestone, Spears said he often reflects on how the industry can grow and expand to reach not only professionals but also the general public— and how this reflection has driven him to continually improve and increase his efforts to achieve his mission of information sharing.

“My involvement in my local and state associations has been important to this development,” he said. “A valuable piece of advice I received was to always say ‘YES’ when asked to contribute or participate. This perspective has served me well, and I hope others will embrace similar opportunities and just say ‘YES.’” 

To learn more about the Code Council’s annual awards, visit the dedicated webpage here.