The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF BUILDING SAFETY MONTH
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HON. SHARICE DAVIDS
of kansas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas. Madam Speaker, in honor of Building Safety Month, I am pleased to recognize the importance of safety in the built environment and the dedication of the members of the International Code Council (ICC) to their roles in protecting our communities.
With natural disasters only expected to increase in frequency and severity, building codes include important safeguards to protect the public from tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, ice and snowstorms, wildland fires, and earthquakes. Last November, FEMA released, ``Building Codes Save: A Nationwide Study'' and found that implementing modern building codes could save $600 billion in disaster spending by 2060. This further confirmed findings from the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) that show adopting modern model building codes save $11 for every $1 invested through earthquake, flood, and wind mitigation benefits, with a $4 to $1 wildfire mitigation benefit. These benefits represent avoided casualties, property damage, business interruptions, and insurance costs, and are enjoyed by all building stakeholders--from developers, titleholders, and lenders, to tenants and communities.
Vulnerable and underserved populations are most affected by increases in utility costs, and they often have the most to lose in the event of a disaster or health emergency. Building codes establish minimum requirements that ensure safe, resilient, and energy efficient schools, childcare and healthcare facilities, housing, and places of employment.
Year round, building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, plumbers, builders, tradespeople, laborers, and others in the construction industry work to ensure the safe construction of buildings though the use of model building codes. The dedicated members of the International Code Council, a national standards developing organization, come together with local, state and federal officials to develop voluntary consensus codes that protect us in the buildings where we worship, live, work, learn, and play. The International Codes, the most widely adopted building safety and fire prevention codes in the nation, are used by most U.S. cities and counties and in all 50 states, including the State of Kansas. I commend Johnson County, which makes up a large portion of my district, for recently adopting the 2018 International Codes.
During the pandemic, building and fire prevention departments' essential work has ensured that healthcare centers are structurally sound and capable of withstanding natural disasters, and that temporary healthcare facilities providing medical surge capacity are built and maintained to protect occupant safety. These officials enforce state, local, and federal regulations that require adequate ventilation and sanitization. More broadly, code officials protect the health and welfare of building occupants to prevent dangerous sanitary, air quality, structural, or electrical hazards.
In a Presidential Proclamation designating May 2021 as Building Safety Month, President Biden stated, ``Investing in our infrastructure and adopting and implementing modem building codes are the most effective mitigation measures communities can undertake.'' Building Safety Month was sponsored by the International Code Council to remind the public about the critical role of our communities' code officials in assuring us safe, efficient, and livable buildings. This year's Building Safety Month theme was, ``Prevent, Prepare, Protect. Building Codes Save'' and it encouraged all of us to raise awareness of the importance of safe and resilient construction, fire prevention, sanitation, disaster mitigation, and new technologies in the construction industry.
Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking International Code Council Board President Greg Wheeler, as well as ICC's Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, the International Code Council leadership, and ICC's Members and staff for recognizing Building Safety Month.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 106
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