April 26, 2005 - St. Lucie County Celebrates Building Safety Week

For thousands of years, building codes and regulations have protected the public. The earliest known code of law - the Code of Hammurabi, written more than 4,000 years ago - assessed severe penalties, including death, if a building was not constructed safely. Today, thousands of jurisdictions across the nation adopt and enforce the International Codes developed by the International Code Council to guide the safe construction of buildings.

Building code enforcement is the job of professionals who work at city hall, the fire department, county government or at the state and federal level. During the week of May 8-14, the County's building department will participate in the worldwide celebration of Building Safety Week. Building Safety Week raises public awareness of building safety to promote the use, enforcement and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to protect lives and property. "Making Homes, Schools and Workplaces Safer Together" is the theme of Building Safety Week 2005.

Building code regulations in St. Lucie County help to ensure that homes, schools, workplaces and other buildings are as safe as possible. Codes address all aspects of construction including structural integrity, electrical, mechanical, plumbing systems and property maintenance.

"Safe buildings don't happen by chance," said St. Lucie County Building Official Dennis M. Grim and current President of the Building Official Association of the Treasure Coast. "Building Safety Week recognizes the important professionals who make sure the buildings in our community are safe. Public safety is our number one concern." The best example of how building codes work is that there was no loss of life as a result of two direct hits from hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. "It is a true testament of all individuals that are involved in the enforcement of the building codes, from the Permitting Techs to the Inspectors that ensure compliance of the codes," said Grim.

Local events to celebrate Building Safety Week include recognition and proclamation made at this morning's St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners meeting and the St. Lucie County Code Compliance Division will be providing tips and brochures for permitting and hurricane preparation. "Building and code officials are here to help the public understand building safety issues," said Grim. "In this age of do-it-yourselfers, it becomes extremely important for homeowners to work with their municipality to make sure their residence fully complies with building safety codes."

The importance of regulating and enforcing building codes is, unfortunately, often overlooked until a catastrophic tragedy occurs. By inspecting buildings during and after construction, the St. Lucie County Building Department helps to ensure that buildings in the community are safe places to live, work, play and learn. The Code Compliance Division provides the following services: Code Enforcement, Contractor Licensing, Zoning, Permitting, Plans Examining and Inspections.

Building Safety Week, first observed in 1980, is sponsored by the International Code Council Foundation, an organization dedicated to changing the devastating effects of natural disasters and other building tragedies worldwide by promoting ideas, methods and technologies that encourage the construction of durable, sustainable buildings and homes. St. Lucie County and the Building Official Association of the Treasure Coast are active members of the Building Official Association of Florida (BOAF) and the International Code Council (ICC), both membership organizations dedicated to building safety and fire prevention. The International Code Council develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council. On July 1, 2005, the 2004 Florida Building Code that is comprised of the International Building Codes will go into effect in the State of Florida.

For more information, contact Dennis Grim at (772) 462-1553.