When entering a house or building, most likely a person is not thinking about whether it is properly constructed and safe. Fortunately, local safety experts think about building safety and fire prevention every day.
To help raise awareness of building safety, the Borough of Tyrone Code Department is celebrating Building Safety Week from May 5 through 11. Across the nation, communities will promote the use and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to prevent lives and property being lost.
The theme for this year is “Building Safety: Where you Live, Work and Play.” As part of its mission to promote ideas, methods and technologies that encourage the construction of durable, sustainable buildings and homes, the International Code Council Foundation (ICCF) sponsors Building Safety Week each year to promote the use and understanding of construction and building codes.
“The important work we do is often overlooked until a catastrophic tragedy occurs,” said Tyrone Borough Code Enforcement and Zoning Officer, James M. Metzgar. “When building safety and fire prevention experts inspect buildings during and after construction, we help to ensure that the places where you live, learn, work and play are safe.”
Building safety and fire prevention codes address all aspects of construction, such as structural soundness of buildings, reliability of fire prevention and suppression systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency and sustainability. To ensure buildings are safe requires the active participation of building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, builders, engineers, and others in the construction industry, as well as property owners.
“Public safety is our number one concern,” said Metzgar. “During Building Safety Week and all year long, building safety and fire prevention officials are here to help protect you and your Tyrone community.”
Building Safety Week was first observed in 1980 and it is sponsored by the International Code Council (ICCF), a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, of which the Borough of Tyrone is an active member. Part of its mission is to promote ideas, methods, and technologies that encourage the construction of durable, sustainable buildings and homes.
Metzgar said that during Building Safety Week, the Tyrone Borough office will have a table set up out front with numerous brochures and literature on safety tips for homes and families, tips on mold prevention and control, and the benefits of building permits, along with other information that ties into building safety and fire prevention.
There will be activity books, pencils, and stickers available for children at the borough office. The kids will also have the opportunity to attain a proclamation signed by Mayor James Kilmartin in an effort to ensure building safety in the community.
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 choose the International Codes – building safety codes – developed by the International Code Council.
