ICC Announces New Award for Innovation in Code Administration

The International Code Council Family of Companies (ICC) has created a new honor to acknowledge public safety creativity in the built environment: the ICC Government Relations Innovation in Code Administration Award.

In announcing the award, ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, said it recognizes fire departments for innovation in the delivery of code administration services in their communities. The award program is sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs-Fire and Life Safety Section, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and the Government Relations Division of the Code Council.

“Code enforcement is one of the five pillars of community risk reduction: education, enforcement, engineering, economic incentives and emergency response,” added ICC Board of Directors President M. Dwayne Garriss, who serves as the Georgia state fire marshal. “Fire and building departments across the country are developing new and innovative approaches to deliver code administration services as part of community risk reduction. These tools and techniques should be shared — and honored — to help reduce risk from death, injury, fires and other natural or man-made disasters.”

Organizations eligible for the award must be a building or fire code organization that provides code administration services to one or more jurisdictions. This may include fire departments, fire marshal’s offices or building departments charged with code administration.

The organization must have implemented a unique practice to enhance building or fire code administration services in the community. The practice should have resulted in a positive impact on public and firefighter safety, measurable reduction in deaths, injuries or property damage, and/or the quality, effectiveness or efficiency of code administration services. An organization can nominate itself; individuals are not eligible for this award.

Such recognition is long overdue, said Park City, Utah, Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Scott Adams, Fire Service Membership Council Governing Committee Chairman. “Building officials and fire marshals work hard to protect public safety and provide citizens good service,” he said. “They should be acknowledged for their work.

Jefferson County, Colo., Building Official Becky Baker, chair of the Building Official Membership Council, agreed. “Nearly every jurisdiction that has codes has some creative idea that can be shared with others to improve the level of building safety and make the workforce more effective,” she said. “We hope sharing these ideas will support the process of continuous improvement.”

The deadline to submit applications for the annual award is March 3. Applications must be submitted to the International Code Council, Government Relations, 500 New Jersey Ave. NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C., 20001 or by fax to 202-783-2348.

Applications will be reviewed by a team from the ICC’s Fire Service and Building Official membership councils that provide overarching policy guidance to the Code Council on emerging issues and trends.

Recipients of the annual award will be honored in May during the ICC-sponsored Building Safety Month and at the annual Building Safety Month Reception in Washington, D.C.

Questions about the award criteria or application process should be submitted to Rob Neale, ICC Vice President for Government Relations at 1-888-422-7233, ext. 6256, or by email at rneale@iccsafe.org.