B & F Technical Code Services, Inc.

News and Media Page

In addition to the latest news from B & F Technical Code Services, journalists, editors and Web masters can find free tools and content related to the model building codes. Everything here is free to use:

• News from B & F Technical Code Services
• Upcoming Classes and Other News from BFCA
• From the President's Desk — Commentary on current coding issues.
• Shared Content — Validated Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds you can use on your Web site.
• Photos for Download

BFCA to offer Free Classes

BFCA to offer Free Classes to out-of-work inspectors and plan reviewers

We are happy to now offer Meeting and Conference room rentals

Five Common Mistakes that Could Get Your Sprinkler Plan Rejected

B & F Technical Code Services, Inc., reminds municipalities, building designers and developers that the new Illinois State Energy Code goes into effect April 8, 2006. All new commercial buildings and all commercial buildings undergoing renovations, alterations, repairs, or construction of an addition requiring a building permit must adhere to the specifications of the new code.

Code Industry Needs a More Proactive, Positive Approach

Recently I presented a training session at a local building department for their Building Safety Week activities. They had a speaker each day during the event.

The topics and audiences were different each day, and one day they held an open question and answer session. My hat goes off to the Village of Oak Park for striving to make the week a success. They made every attempt to provide information to local builders, contractors, design professionals, homeowners, and the general public.

Their efforts were proactive. By getting information into the hands of these groups, they will have a better and safer community. They made access to the correct information easier and less threatening to obtain.

I feel like they do. Our industry needs to change to have a more proactive, positive approach. An informed community will make the correct choices when given the opportunity.

There should be an additional change. This information should be made available all year long. A monthly or weekly meeting can provide contractors, design professionals, or the general public with the information they need at the time they need it. This includes our schools. If we teach our children what is correct, it will help them throughout their lives. This will make the community safer for everyone, now and in the future.

So congratulations to all the departments that started the process with a Building Safety Week program. It can start small and grow. To all those who have not yet started, it's time to consider adding a Building Safety Week to your budgets for next year. Your efforts today will pay off in the future.

An informed community will make the correct choices when given the opportunity.

If you know a first responder, firefighter, are one or have been one, you might recall some out-of-the-ordinary emergency calls. But there are the kind you never forget.

For a long time, the pendulum on accessibility requirements was still because there were no standard requirements for accessibility.

As with other types of construction, masonry is subject to inspection and must also comply with applicable codes and standards.

The urgent need to have regulation in place will not elimintate the obstacles.

Holidays should be filled with sugarplums and twinkles, but we can't forget safety. Stealing the beauty of the season like the Grinch is not my intention. A safe season is a peaceful, enjoyable season. Accidents are preventable. As professionals we ensure compliance but sometimes forget it in our own homes.

Like many early Sunday mornings since becoming empty-nesters, my wife and I were having our breakfast at a small neighbor- hood restaurant. From a window, we saw a rather large, wheelchair bound woman struggling to get inside.

Changing or amending codes to achieve reliable construction may be what is needed to maximize the structural integrity to withstand a catastrophic event.

When I was a new in this industry, as a fire inspector, the use of keyed locks or dead bolts were common. It took time and hard work to educate business and property owners about the value of a safe means of egress. We can all list tragedies where inadequate non-compliant means of egress was the cause.

The International Residential Code has the requirements in place to ensure above and below ground pools are installed safely to provide protection to children from pools. A properly installed guard will prevent children from entering a pool unsupervised. The IRC has the construction requirements for guards and gates. . .

Many building officials do not realize how all-inclusive the International Fire Code is. It covers areas such as general precautions against fire, and indoor displays to fire service features, fire apparatus access roads, and hazards to firefighters. One of the most important chapters covers emergency planning and preparedness and requires evacuation plans for many occupancies.. . .

By following the Fire Department's lead, Building Departments and officials can use Building Safety Week to promote building safety awareness in the same way Fire Prevention Week has been used. . .

Loss suffered by a community as a result of a school fire, the danger faced by children, and the devastation shared by children and adults should incite lowering of the 20,000 sq. ft. mandate.

The purpose of an inspection is to bring everyone involved in the construction process together on the same page.

If you would like to include an article from The President's Desk on your Web site, please send an email to .

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Intl Energy Conservation Code Class 2010

Intl Energy Conservation Code Class - Dates: 3-Day Class, 7 different classes offered. Location: Various

Fire and Life Safety Plan Review Class - Dates: 5-Day Class Starts April 7, 2010 or September 22, 2010 Location: Hoffman Estates, IL

BFCA has now published it's 2010 class schedule online and in a printable pdf format as well.

B & F Technical Code Services, Inc. — The latest news and information from B & F Technical Code Services' news department. http://www.bftechcs.com/info/news/bf_feed.xml.
BFCA — Upcoming classes and other news from the Building and Fire Code Academy. http://www.bfcacademy.com/news/bfcaclassfeed.xml
From the President's Desk — Commentary on building code news by the Richard A. Piccolo, president of B & F Code Services, Inc. http://bftechcs.com/info/news/prez_desk.xml

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The photos listed below are available to Web designers and journalists. All the photos are in JPG format, have a resolution of 300 dpi and are available in three pixel sizes.

To download, click on the link that corresponds to the size photo you want. A pop-up window with the full size image will appear. Right click on the photo, select save as and save the image to your desktop or elsewhere on your c: drive.

Management Photos

Richard A. Piccolo Portrait 776 X 976   388 X 488   194 X 244		Ken Garrett Portrait 776 X 976   388 X 488   194 X 244
Richard A. Piccolo Teaching 1536 X 1024   768 X 512   384 X 256		Ken Garrett Inspecting 1024 X 1536   512 X 768   256 X 384
Richard Blondin Portrait 776 X 976   388 X 488   194 X 244		Richard Blondin Inspecting 1024 X 1536   512 X 768   256 X 384
Roger Fox Portrait 1253 X 1525   626 X 762   313 X 381

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Commercial Inspection Photos

HVAC/Ductwork Inspection 1024 X 1536   512 X 768   256 X 384		Inspector Near Window 1536 X 1024   768 X 512   384 X 256
Checking Insulation 1536 X 1024   768 X 512   384 X 256		Inspector Near Window 1024 X 1536   512 X 768   256 X 384

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Residential Sprinkler Seminar, Aug. 26, 2005

Plaque presented to The Village of Hoffman Estates Fire Department, Fire Chief Kevin Rynders and the Fire Prevention Bureau commemorating the village’s 1,000th sprinklered home. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		The Hoffman Estates Fire Department helped with the demonstration. In addition to setting the fires, two trucks and several fire fighters were stationed close by. 2048 X 1536   1024 x 768   430 x 374
Hoffman Estates Fire Department provided the equipment and personnel to ensure the safety of those who watched the deomonstration. 2029 X 1153   1014 X 576   507 X 288		Hoffman Estates Fire Fighter takes a break prior to the demonstration. 1209 X 1529   604 X 764   302 X 382
Every precaution was taken prior to and during the demonstration. Local fire fighters in full gear, waited nearby, to control any problems that could arise. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		Student observing Richard A. Piccolo's presentation on fire sprinklers. 2137 X 1693   1068 X 846   534 X 423
The seminar was presented to a packed house of 96 fire inspectors and community leaders. 2544 X 1969   1272 X 848   636 X 424
Richard A. Piccolo, BFCA president and former fire fighters, is a master code professional and an expert in the model building codes. He tells the audience that his home is equipped with residential fire sprinklers. 1355 X 969   677 X 484   338 X 242		Venders were able to display their products and literature during the event. Local fire inspectors and municipal officials had opportunities to meet one-on-one with the venders to talk about code compliance. 2544 X 1969   1272 X 848   636 X 424
A view of the unsprinkled 8 x 8 foot room prior to the fire. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		The same rooom, roughly 20 seconds after the flames first became visible. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384
Approximately one minute into the fire, the curtains were completely ablaze and smoke it difficult to see very far into the room. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		Hoffman Estates Fire Fighters extinguished the blaze less than three minutes after it started. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384
A view of the damage after the fire was extinguished. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384
A view of the room containing fire sprinklers. Notice it is the same size and furnished the same as the unsprinkled room. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		This photo was taken approximately 40 seconds after the flames first became visible, just prior to the sprinkler being activated. 512 X 384   256 X 192   128 X 96
This is a view of the room just after the sprinkler was activated. This time, the room is mostly filled with steam, as opposed to smoke. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384		Hoffman Estates Fire Fighters secured the room after the fire, making sure there were no smoldering materials. They did not need to extinguish any part of the sprinklered room. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384
Once ensuring the area was safe, Hoffman Estates Fire Fighers allowed spectators to move in for a closer look at the damage. 2048 X 1536   1024 X 768   512 X 384