The concept of using a set of construction standards or guidelines has been a part of the human experience for literally thousands of years. From the beginning, construction techniques have been developed by trial and error, with hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of lives having been sacrificed as a result of construction failures over the past 4,000 or 5,000 years.

One could list, for instance, the more significant fires in the past 500 years. We could start with the Great London Fire of 1666, in which more than 15,000 structures were destroyed over five days. This wasn't even the first fire to devastate London, as previous conflagrations had occurred in 798, 982 and 1212, which simply shows that history has a way of repeating itself.

More recent was the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, in which 17,000 buildings and 250 lives were lost after only two days. As a result of this fire, in 1875 a new ordinance established a stringent set of building codes and fire prevention regulations.

The code enforcement community clearly recognizes that our modern building and fire codes are the result of an evolutionary process of building and fire disasters that have occurred over the centuries. One of the earliest sets of building regulations was published in 1905 by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. This publication was considered the recommended building code and was prepared for general use throughout the country.

The following is only a partial list showing when the organizations listed entered the business of writing building and/or fire codes:

1835 Manufacturers Mutual Fire Insurance Co. (now Factory Mutual Global)

1894 Underwriters' Laboratories Inc.

1896 National Fire Protection Assn.

1898 American Society for Testing and Materials

1901 National Bureau of Standards

1915 Building Officials Conference of America

1918 American Gas Assn.

1918 American National Standards Institute

1926 International Assn. of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials

1927 Pacific Code Building Officials (now the International Conference of Building Officials)

1940 Southern Standard Building Code

1946 International Standards Organization

1961 California Fire Chiefs Assn. (Uniform Fire Code - cfca)

1971 Western Fire Chiefs Assn. (Uniform Fire Code - cfca/wfca)

1991 International Fire Code Institute (Uniform Fire Codeicbo/wfca)

1994 International Code Council

1999 Western Fire Chiefs Assn. (Uniform Fire Codewfca/iapmo)

Clearly, over the past 100 years or more, there have been enormous gains in the quality and quantity of construction regulations and fire prevention practices. As a result, buildings being constructed with today's codes and/or standards are safer, both structurally and from a fire protection point of view.

Consider simply the size (in pages) of the Uniform Fire Code. The 1967 ufc ran 215 pages, while the 1997 edition had a total of 973 pages in two volumes. Similar growth is reflected in the building codes: the 1952 Uniform Building Code at 340 pages and the 2000 International Building Code at 756.

What's my point in giving you these seemingly trivial facts?

Point #1: The last hundred years have seen dramatic changes in the way our society designs, constructs and inspects the buildings we use and live in.

Point #2: The requirements outlined in our construction codes and standards are much more detailed and lay out specific criteria as to the various construction elements needed to comply with these codes and standards.

Point #3: The enforcement of building and/or fire code regulations requires a greater amount of time and effort in which to perform an adequate processing, plan review, back-check, issue necessary permits, field inspect and handle final acceptance (issuance of the certificate of occupancy).

Point #4: The training and education of the staff members of the authority having jurisdiction is increasingly difficult because of the typical problems of staffing levels, workloads, availability of training and educational programs, and funding for this function.

Point #5: The code changes, which are typically on a three-year cycle, require that staff members perform the normal review, amendment and adoption process as a part of doing business, bringing these new editions of the various codes before their respective boards, councils, commissions, etc.

Point #6: Once the new versions of the building and/or fire codes are adopted, the local building and fire agency staff members must inform their clients (architects, engineers, developers and homeowners) of the changes and revisit handout materials that define the elements for obtaining necessary permits, including supportive fees, which must often be increased to cover the costs of these services.

Point #7: Obtaining copies of the newly adopted codes and standards and supportive reference materials can often be challenging in and of itself. Consider the cost of purchasing these codes, standards and reference materials.

In California, for example, in accordance with Government Code Section 50110, the local agency is required to maintain three copies of each adopted code with the city/county clerk. With 58 counties and 473 incorporated cities (a total of 531), that means 1,593 copies of a given adopted code. At non-member prices, that many copies of the wfca/iapmo 2000 ufc would cost $105,138, and the icc 2000 International Fire Code would be $90,881.

Add to these totals the multiple codes and standards, and then the other states, counties, cities, special districts and agencies nationwide. Then add the contractors, architects, engineers, consultants and associates, and that dollar figures grows, and grows, and grows.

Now that I have your full attention, consider these important final points.

Point #8: To have codes and standards that are responsive to the needs of building and/or fire officials, who after all are expected to enforce those provisions, these officials must be active participants in the code development process.

Point #9: Local building and fire officials' ability to participate in the code development process is often conditional on funding for travel costs and meeting expenses. It's often a simple fact, however, that local agencies won't fund these activities, and the building or fire official must use his or her own resources to attend these vital forums.

Today, more than ever before, we're seeing dramatic changes in building and fire codes and standards. We're witnessing the formation of partnerships and consortiums designed to protect their vested interests in the wide range of codes and standards. Building and fire officials are being pushed and pulled one way after another.

The introduction of new concepts that will change the ways in which building plans are developed, submitted and approved is also undergoing significant changes. Building and fire officials are seeing performance-based codes moving forward and wondering whether these are ready for implementation at the local level.

To many who've been in the trenches for years, the performance-based code is not a new concept when one looks at the provisions of "Alternate materials, design and methods of construction and equipment" (2000 ibc, Section 104.11, or 2000 ufc, Section 103.1.2). However, when looking at the aggregate design of a building as opposed to a single element or component, it does become more intimidating.

Over the years, the working relationships between building and fire officials have dramatically improved, due in part to the correlation of the codes and standards and the efforts of the building and fire official organizations, from the local to the national level. With the current battles of the codes, however (icc v. wfca v. nfpa v. iapmo, or said differently, ibc/ipc/imc/ifc v. ufc v. nfpa-1 v. nfpa-1/ufc v. iapmo), let's not lose sight of the strength of unity, of supporting one another and working for the real customers of our endeavors: the citizens of our respective communities.

"Change is inevitable in a progressive country. Change is constant." - Benjamin Disraeli, 1867