Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring May 2024, as Building Safety Month in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
Community Planning and Development Services (CPDS)
Recommendation
Staff recommends Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation.
Discussion
The City of Rockville is proud to be among the many safety-oriented jurisdictions throughout the country in officially recognizing May as Building Safety Month. This is an excellent opportunity to pay tribute to the many design professionals and contractors who design and build with a consciousness of user life safety and sustainability, as well as to local government code professionals in the Inspections Services Division (ISD), and Code Enforcement with the Department of Community Planning and Development Services, whose primary task is to see that safety and code compliance is properly ensured.
Those permitting code professionals include permit technicians and plans examiners, who screen, review, and approve over 5,000 building permit applications and construction plans annually to ensure that designs are safe and code-compliant for permit issuance. They also include the City’s building and fire inspectors, who, after permits have been issued, check construction at various stages of work to make certain that the building’s structural elements, accessibility, means of egress, fire protection, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems are installed in accordance with adopted codes, and are in compliance and conformance with approved plans and submittal documents. Collectively, they conduct over 12,000 code compliance permit inspections each year.
Equally important are the Code Enforcement inspectors and officials who are responsible for making sure that all existing buildings and structures, e.g., houses, restaurants, churches, apartments, hotels, schools, City & County facilities, and structures remain just as safe and well-maintained today as they were years ago when they were newly constructed, through proactive enforcement of adopted property maintenance codes.
Building Safety Month continues to serve as critical outreach and a visible means of highlighting and reinforcing the importance of safety, and protection of buildings and the people who use them during design, under construction, and during occupancy.
The International Code Council’s (ICC) theme for Building Safety Month 2024 is "Mission Possible.”
The weekly themes for this year's campaign are:
Week 1: Understanding the Mission
Includes an introduction of building safety, what Building Safety Month is, and how building safety affects us all.
Week 2: Preparing a Building Safety Plan
Highlights available educational resources (water/fire, sustainability & resiliency/disaster preparedness), including downloadable brochures, for building safety tips and best practices at home and in your community.
Week 3: Learning from the Pros
Shines a spotlight on building safety professionals, including what they do, how to work with them and how to become one yourself.
Week 4: Engaging Your Community
Includes information on how to advocate for building safety in your community, including actionable tips on how to be a proponent of building safety and ways to get kids involved.
Week 5: Celebrating Success in Building Safety
Highlighting individuals and communities who are making a difference in building safety (editorial spotlights), including sharing the current year's Building Safety Month celebrations and events.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council issue a proclamation for Building Safety Month annually.
Public Notification and Engagement
Staff teams will be engaging in various community outreach activities throughout the month to raise awareness of the aforementioned themes.