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2nd Edition

Fire PreventionThrough the Codes

Process

Chapter 4

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2nd Edition

Objectives

Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

•Describe the origin of the model code system in the United States

•List the major model code organizations and describe the evolution of model code organizations in the United States

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2nd Edition

Objectives (cont’d.)

• Describe the code change process used by the model code organizations

• Describe the methods of code adoption by states and local governments

• Discuss the impact of the agendas of groups participating in the model code process

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Model Codes

• Codes: systematically arranged bodies of laws or rules

• Codes tell us what to do or what not to do

• Examples: United States Code, Code of Virginia, Code of the County of Fairfax

• Model codes: technical rules made available for governments to accept– Adoption of the code

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The Development of Model Codes

• Fire insurance industry failed to self-regulate insurance rates/commissions– Started prevention through codes/standards

• The NEC® may be the most universal model code

• The NBFU published the National Building Code and National Fire Prevention Code through 1976

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Model Code Organizations of theTwentieth Century

• Many jurisdictions adopted NBFU codes

• The NBFU was absorbed as part of Insurance Services Organization (ISO)

• The NFPA grew into a 75,000-member international organization

• Largest model code organizations consolidated into the International Code Council (ICC)

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The Regional Model Code Organizations

• System of regional codes, began in 1920s– Building code by the Pacific Building Officials

Conference

• Three regional code groups, 1950

• Three major regional codes evolved in the 20th century

• National map of adopted codes resembled a puzzle: late 80s

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Building Officials and Code Administrators, International

• Established in 1915

• First Basic Building Code by BOCA, 1950

• BOCA maintained building, mechanical, fire prevention, plumbing, and property maintenance codes through 1999

• BOCA served the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and midwestern states before ICC

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Southern Building Code Congress International

• Established in 1940

• Published first edition of the Standard Building Code in 1945

• Published several codes through 1999

• Standard Fire Code: developed with the Southeastern/Southwestern Fire Chief’s Associations

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International Conference of Building Officials

• ICBO was established in 1921 as the Pacific Building Officials Conference

• Uniform Building Code, first edition published in 1927– Incorporated into the Department of Defense

Military Handbook 1008– Replaced by Unified Facilities Criteria, 2002

• Incorporated the International Building Code

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International Code Council (ICC)

• Established in 1994 to develop a single set of model codes for the U.S.

• Consolidation of BOCA, ICBO, and SBCCI

• Publishes 14 model codes

• International Fire Code Council (IFCC)– Established to represent common interests of

the fire service and the ICC

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The National Fire Protection Association

• Few comprehensive building regulations in effect in the 1800s

• Fire underwriters formed NFPA in 1896

• Publishes almost 300 codes, standards, and recommended practices

• NFPA’s NEC® may be the most widely used code in the U.S.

• Triangle Shirtwaist fire: Life Safety Code®

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Code Changes

• Two major groups involved in the process– ICC– C3 group

• NFPA, ASHRAE, IAPMO, and WFCA

• Both groups use a consensus process to develop and maintain their documents– Disagree on what consensus really means

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The International Code Council Code Change Process

FIGURE 4-6The ICC code development process

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The NFPA Code Change Process

FIGURE 4-8NFPA uses a systemof nine membercategories to ensurethat no group hasundue influencewithin the codeand standardsdevelopmentprocess

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Fire Service Commitment

• ICC voting procedures– Opportunity for full fire service participation– Obligation to present and future firefighters

• Must exercise influence through groups– International Association of Fire Chiefs, the

International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), and regional organizations

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Code Adoption

• Two basic methods used– Adoption by reference

• The jurisdiction passes an ordinance that lists or references a specific edition of a model code

– Adoption by transcription• The model code is republished as an ordinance by

a jurisdiction

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State and Local Adoption

• Legal requirements to ensure adequate public notice– State minimum code that can be locally

amended– State mini-maxi code with no option of local

amendment• Favored by business interests/developers

– Locally adopted code

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What Codes Cannot Do

• Cycle of catastrophe/public outcries of “there ought to be a law” will continue to exist

• The largest fire prevention bureau cannot inspect every building every day

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Summary

• Organizations originally formed to reduce property loss and protect lives– Evolved to promote public safety

• Major reorganization in community, 2003– Three regional model code organizations

voted to consolidate/form the ICC

• Effective codes: adequate education, enforcement, and public cooperation