New York City Buildings Department, Texas Code Official Honored for Commitment to Building Safety

The New York City Buildings Department and a Director of Urban Development from Texas are the first recipients of the International Code Council Raising the Profile Awards. The awards honor individuals or organizations for contributions to raising the public awareness of the work accomplished by code officials to improve public safety in the built environment. The inaugural honorees are the New York City Buildings Department and Ravi Shah, Director of Urban Development for the city of Carrollton, Texas.

The Code Council honored the New York City Buildings Department, represented by Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, for numerous programs to improve public safety including the Scaffold Safety Team, Worker Outreach Program, Excavations Team and Special Enforcement Team. Each program contributes to the safety, service and integrity of the department, its employees, and the residents and visitors of New York City.

Shah is recognized for his efforts to raise the bar for code officials through creation of the Building Officials Association of Texas Best Practices Award, and exposing students to building codes by encouraging youth to consider a career as a “first preventer,” the officials who ensure codes are followed to save lives and protect property. Shah also provided support to establish the International Accreditation Service Building Department Accreditation Program.

The awards will be presented during Building Safety Week, May 5-11, at the Code Council’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The International Code Council, a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council.