This week, after returning from Charleston, SC for a Safety Assessment Program for the BuildStrong Coalition, former AIA Orlando President, Michael Lingerfelt, FAIA, LEED AP, traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Booz Allen Hamilton Forum on Thursday, May 9, 2013.
Building Codes for a Stronger and Safer America: A National Thought Leaders Forum, held in conjunction with BuildStrong ally, the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), was designed to increase awareness and visibility of building codes. The forum also hoped to generate credible recommendations from a diverse group of experts.
The day featured keynote speakers Congressman Steve Palazzo (R-Mississippi), House Leadership designee on Natural Disaster and Mitigation Issues, and the Senate and House sponsors of the Safe Building Code Incentive Act (SBCIA), Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida) and U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). These speakers were followed by two panel discussions.
Lingerfelt, who is currently the chair of the AIA Disaster Assistance Committee, sat on the first panel which was a discussion entitled “The Cost and Benefits of Building Codes to Homeowners and the Government.” The second panel, “Safer, More Resilient Communities from Building Codes,” focused on the advances in construction techniques and materials and their effects on life safety.
More than 100 participants attended the forum representing government, commercial and non-profit organizations.