May 9th through May 13th is a time to focus on the importance of safe construction Annapolis (May 12, 2005) - This week, Anne Arundel County has joined building departments across America and around the world in recognizing Building Safety Week to raise public awareness of building safety, and to promote the use, enforcement and understanding of the importance of building safety and fire prevention codes. "You Can Be a Part of Building Safety Week" is again this year's theme. Local events to mark Building Safety Week include a proclamation signed by County Executive Janet S. Owens on May 9, 2005. In addition, Anne Arundel County is being represented by Bill Bryant, Code Enforcement Administrator, in Washington D.C. this week when the International Code Council convenes. "I am very proud of the Department of Inspections and Permits and the role that Department plays in the adoption of international safety codes," said County Executive Janet S. Owens. "The citizens of Anne Arundel County are well served by this agency and the dedicated staff that ensures the safety of all new construction county-wide. Public safety is our number one concern." Building Safety Week, which was first observed in 1980, and is sponsored by the International Code Council Foundation (ICCF), is an opportunity to educate our communities. Its objectives then and now are to promote the use, enforcement and understanding of building codes to safeguard the public. It also recognizes professional code enforcement officials who regularly attend educational training to make sure they are aware of the latest code changes and technological advances in construction. It is a perfect time to increase public awareness of the role building safety and fire prevention officials, local and state building departments, and federal agencies play in the first line of defense to protect the public. Today, building code enforcement is the job of professionals who work right here in Anne Arundel County and at local city halls, fire departments, county buildings or at the state and federal levels. Building code regulations enforced in Anne Arundel County help to ensure that homes, schools, workplaces and other buildings are as safe as possible. Building codes regulate all aspects of construction and property maintenance. "Safe buildings that save lives don’t happen by chance," said Spurgeon Eismeier, Director of Inspections and Permits for Anne Arundel County. "Building Safety Week recognizes the importance of safe buildings and the professionals who make sure buildings are safe in our community." The importance of regulating and enforcing building codes is unfortunately often overlooked by the public until a catastrophic tragedy occurs. By inspecting buildings during and after construction, the Inspections and Permits Department for Anne Arundel County helps to ensure that buildings in the community are safe, sound and accessible places to live, work, play and learn. Inspections and Permits Department for Anne Arundel County also reviews building plans and issues building permits. The first building codes in the United States, established in 1625, addressed fire safety and specified materials for roof coverings. For instance, in 1630, Boston outlawed chimneys made with wood and thatch roof coverings. In the late 1770s George Washington recommended that height and area limitations be imposed on wood frame buildings in his plans for the District of Columbia. In 1788, the first known formal building code was written in the United States (in German) in Old Salem, (now Winston-Salem) North Carolina. Larger U.S. cities began establishing building codes in the early 1800s. In 1865, New Orleans was the first city to enact a law requiring inspections of public places. The National Board of Fire Underwriters published its Recommended National Building Code in 1905. In 1915, the world’s first building safety code organization was established to provide a forum for exchange of ideas regarding building safety and construction regulations. Modern building codes regulate a myriad of safety systems including design and structural requirements, fire prevention, electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, property maintenance, energy efficiency and zoning. Anne Arundel County is an active member of the International Code Council, an association that develops building codes to safeguard the public at home, school and work. The International Codes, developed by the International Code Council, are the most contemporary building safety and fire prevention codes in the world. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt and enforce building safety and fire prevention codes select codes produced by International Code Council. In addition to elected and appointed government officials, International Code Council members include architects, engineers, builders, building owners and managers. For more information on Anne Arundel County’s building code program, visit the Department of Inspections and Permit Website. >> More information on the International Code Council website. | 
