Sorry, I've been away
Last Monday I left the office and got on a plane for Detroit. There, along with a thousand of my closest friends, I participated in the International Code Council (ICC) code change hearings. It was an interesting time but a long one.
All kidding aside, it was good to see my friends and get an opportunity to sit down, enjoy a drink and/or dinner together, and participate in the process. Although drinks and dinner were the exception to the rule, the participation was not. Hearings started at 8 in the morning and usually lasted until after 10 pm. Those were long days. Nonetheless, it is an effort to shape the building and fire codes that are adopted in this country and tweak the little things atht need fixing so that they make sense.
Much about what is written about fire safety has to do with what the fire department does – their fire prevention and awareness programs and the significant fire fighting that we see on the news. There is, however, a lot more that goes on. There are all those buildings that are used day to day where people work and live; and, where things go right – day after day after day. That’s what’s right about the effort. And, when you see things on the news about a night club fire or building collapse you can go back and see that; yes, it was one of the older building stock – built before the codes were adopted that would have prevented the tragedy or which could have prevented it if the codes would have been properly enforced.
The ICC has a term for the people who do that sort of work as representatives of their local government - silent defenders. The fire service received lots of attention. They should. They do a tremendous job. But the people who inspect the buildings and review new construction plans, the ones who make sure that the proper connections are in place so that nobody gets electrocuted – those are the heroes of the lived-in infrastructure.
Me? No, I’m a consultant. My job is to assist developers and architects work their way through the codes and find the safe and inexpensive way to build. There are those who demeaningly refer to what I do as being a “code whore” because I look for what the codes will allow and use that to the advantage of my client. I can honestly say, however, that I do not tolerate those who would seek to place people in an unsafe condition by bending the rules. Nonetheless, it is important, like everything else in life, to have balance. Too little water and you die of thirst. Too much – you drown. The same is true for rules and regulations. Too little and people get hurt. Too much and nobody can afford to build the buildings we need to live and work in.
Balance. Like life – balance.
All kidding aside, it was good to see my friends and get an opportunity to sit down, enjoy a drink and/or dinner together, and participate in the process. Although drinks and dinner were the exception to the rule, the participation was not. Hearings started at 8 in the morning and usually lasted until after 10 pm. Those were long days. Nonetheless, it is an effort to shape the building and fire codes that are adopted in this country and tweak the little things atht need fixing so that they make sense.
Much about what is written about fire safety has to do with what the fire department does – their fire prevention and awareness programs and the significant fire fighting that we see on the news. There is, however, a lot more that goes on. There are all those buildings that are used day to day where people work and live; and, where things go right – day after day after day. That’s what’s right about the effort. And, when you see things on the news about a night club fire or building collapse you can go back and see that; yes, it was one of the older building stock – built before the codes were adopted that would have prevented the tragedy or which could have prevented it if the codes would have been properly enforced.
The ICC has a term for the people who do that sort of work as representatives of their local government - silent defenders. The fire service received lots of attention. They should. They do a tremendous job. But the people who inspect the buildings and review new construction plans, the ones who make sure that the proper connections are in place so that nobody gets electrocuted – those are the heroes of the lived-in infrastructure.
Me? No, I’m a consultant. My job is to assist developers and architects work their way through the codes and find the safe and inexpensive way to build. There are those who demeaningly refer to what I do as being a “code whore” because I look for what the codes will allow and use that to the advantage of my client. I can honestly say, however, that I do not tolerate those who would seek to place people in an unsafe condition by bending the rules. Nonetheless, it is important, like everything else in life, to have balance. Too little water and you die of thirst. Too much – you drown. The same is true for rules and regulations. Too little and people get hurt. Too much and nobody can afford to build the buildings we need to live and work in.
Balance. Like life – balance.
posted by genebko at
10:46 AM
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