| NFSA IRC Update Ohio | |||||||||||||
| Providing an update on adoption of the International Residential Code and the requirement of fire sprinkler adoption of dwellings. | |||||||||||||
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Current IRC Status Reports: Code Adoption Process underway. The Residential Code Advisory Committee Recommendation will likely be forwarded to the Board of Building Standards some time in November or December and a Public Hearing will be scheduled for some time in January 2010. Ohio will likely be a candidate for a study Committee recommendation. Working with the Ohio Fire Chiefs and the Ohio Fire Officials to develop an appropriate level of opposition at the Public Hearing and to gain support for a Study Committee recommendation. November 6th the RCAC took the unusual step of putting their draft code recommendation out for a 30 day public comment period. The draft will be out until December 8th. The committee will then meet on Dec. 9th to review comments and possibly make adjustments prior to handing the code off to the Board of Building Standards for a public comment period and a Public Hearing. There is a organization presently working on an organized public hearing presentation. The Hearing will likely occur in January or February of 2010. House Bill 362 has been introduced in Ohio. This bill would require C/O detectors and fire extinquishers in all residential dwellings. This bill creates concern for a number of reasons not the least of which is that if adopted it would likely be used as an example of improved fire protection in single family dwellings and a reason to not adopt a residential sprinkler requirement. This legislation will be monitored closely. The Residential Constructin Code Advisory Committee met December 9th. At the meeting the decision was made to discuss the letters received during the public comment period ending Dec. 8 at the next meeting of the RCAC meeting in January. With this decision the code will no be forwarded to the Board of Building Standards until the first quarter of 2010. (1/08/10) The Ohio Board of Building Standards has slowed the IBC and IRC 2009 code adoption process. In its memorandum dated December 16, 2009 the Board states “ Mindful of Governor Strickland’s Executive Order 2008-04S which directed all agencies to implement a “common sense” approach to business regulation, and in consultation with the Governor’s office, the Board has determined that it will put on hold the Administrative Code rule adoption process for updates to all of the building codes to allow for further discussion and review of the proposed changes for potential impact on the State’s struggling economy.” As your Regional Manager I will continue to monitor the process and keep you advised as movement occurs. The Residential Code Review Committee will meet Feb. 17, 2010 to review written public comments submitted regarding the IRC 2009 code modifications they will propose the Board of Building Standards. The Ohio Fire Safety Coalition is leading an effort to organize opposition to the removal of the sprinkler requirement from the code. The Coalition established a sub-committee led by Ron Brown NFSA to develop a response plan.Chief Pettus of the Columbus Ohio Fire Department has accepted an offer to hold a Fire Team USA event in Columbus. If possible we will also conduct a side by side burn demonstration. The event is scheduled for August 2010.The Ohio Residential Code Advisory Committee will hear comments regarding the committees proposal to remove the Residential Fire Sprinkler Requirement at a RCAC meeting scheduled for July 21, 2010 09:00 AM. Regional Manager Dominick Kasmauskas will be attending the meeting. July 21, 2010, The RCAC public hearing to discuss the residential fire sprinkler portion of the 2009 Ohio residential code was held July 21, 2010. The discussion and information exchange at this hearing was far more substanitive than the meeting at which the requirement was removed from the code. NFPA, NFSA and the Ohio Fire Officials Organization all spoke in favor of reinserting the residential sprinkler requirement back into the code. Battalion Chief Sean DeCrane also presented in favor of the residential fire sprinkler requirement. The idea of a residential fire sprinkler taskforce being organized was presented. The RCAC will vote either in August or September regarding their final position on the matter. |
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