Gary Lewis receives 2017 ICC Fire Service Award

Award is given to a member whose professional abilities and leadership serve as an example to all fire prevention and fire protection professionals

The ICC Fire Service Award is given to a member whose professional abilities and leadership serve as an example to all fire prevention and fire protection professionals. It is presented in honor of Robert W. Gain, a founder of the Uniform Fire Code and prominent member of the organizations that created the International Fire Code.

The 2017 ICC Fire Service Award was given to Gary Lewis during the 2017 ICC Annual Conference in Columbus, Ohio, for his dedication to fire prevention protection and education.

Lewis is a leader in the International Code Council’s code development process as well as in the advancement of New Jersey’s Uniform Construction Code and in code education in general. His unique blend of experience, expertise and knowledge has contributed significantly to the success of the International Fire Code. Over the past 10 years, he has delivered continuing education to countless licensed code officials, inspectors and architects. He developed specialized course content in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Lewis was a member of the team of experts drafted by the Department of Community Affairs to evaluate the International Building and Residential Codes for implementation in the state of New Jersey.

A licensed construction, building and fire code official with more than 30 years of experience, he has managed a construction program with the city of Summit, N.J., since 1992. Lewis served three terms as President of the New Jersey Fire Prevention and Protection Association, served on numerous code development committees, and developed successful code changes for both the International Fire Code and International Residential Code. He collaborated with the Society of Fire Protection Engineers to help guide performance-based codes and developed a national curriculum on the subject. Additionally, Lewis is a qualified expert witness and has developed post-incident codes and standards analyses for many federal cases. His dedication to fire prevention protection and education has built a legacy of safety in New Jersey and throughout the country.

“You will probably never know the deep meaning and appreciation with which I will hold this award for the rest of my career and the rest of my life because this is what I do and what we do,” said Lewis upon accepting the award. “Over the past 25 years, I’ve stolen something from all of you. Our interactions over that time — whether it was agreeing on a code change, disagreeing, locking arms for the good fight, sharing a drink, or sharing bread — what I did was I lifted a little bit of the best of each of you in all of those hundreds of interactions over the last 30 years. Add them all up and that has made me what I am today so I have each and every one of you to thank for this award.”