Wednesday, June 19, 2013

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The International Association of Building Officials is seeking feedback on a scholarship program. Click here for more information.

Nominations for 2013 ICC Awards are being sought. For more information visit the ICC website.

The results of the committee hearings for the Group B code changes can be found here.

The Board of Directors of the Kansas City Metro Association of Permit Technicians has resurrected the scholarship fund. This fund has a limit to the total monies available for scholarships per any given year. Click here for more information.

Dear fellow Permit Technician:

Join our conversation on PT Hotwire . It's really about you!

Don't miss the opportunity waiting for you now on the first website for all American permit technicians, PT Hotwire . It is a web blog organized this year as a major professional communications tool for any local or state government official who process building permits in all 50 states. For your ICC Chapter, PT Hotwire is an excellent tool to:

Announce an upcoming training event

Share professional advice on problem solving and best management practices

Alert others about job openings

Post news items on what your ICC Chapter is doing to make a difference

Raise the public profile of your profession and your ICC Chapter

Got a news item for PT Hotwire and want to know how to post it? It's simple! Just send it to this email address: blog@kcmapt.org . If needed, we will edit the item. And we will post it right away!

This is a volunteer effort (with some professional help) to benefit all permit technicians and your ICC Chapters. Use it! It costs you nothing, except taking a moment to send in an item and check PT Hotwire for the latest tips, news and notes on what matters to you in your job. Just go to the blog today and subscribe at the top of the home page. You'll get the latest information in your email.

We hope to be talking with you soon!

Best Holiday Wishes,
Tamara Hagerman and Amy Barenklau

KCMAPT has developed a handout with Christmas tree safety tips as a community service. Feel free to make these available in your jurisdictions as well as with those who sponsor tree sales.
Tips on full page
Tips on half-page

The Governor of New Jersey, Mr. Christie, has established a donation site, which guarantees 100% of the funds donated will stay in the state of New Jersey. Anyone wishing to donate to the hurricane relief may send their donations by mail:

Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund
PO Box 95
Mendham NJ 07945-0095
Email: info@sandynjrelieffund.org
website: www.sandynjrelieffund.org

There is a call for several exam development committees. If you are interested in helping develop an ICC certification exam please go to http://www.iccsafe.org/Accreditation/Pages/default.aspx and then under "Call for EDC Applications" click on "snap shot of duties." If you are interested in applying for an exam development committee click apply.

Promoting permit technicians and building safety wins Chapter Merit Award for KCMAPT
Innovative ways of promoting the role and value of permit technicians helped the Kansas City Metropolitan Association of Permit Technicians win the International Code Council's Chapter Merit Award last week.

The KCMAPT Chapter was presented the award during the International Code Council's Annual Conference and Code Hearings in Portland, Ore. The award recognized the chapter's accomplishments between May 1, 2011, and April 30, 2012, and was decided by ICC's Chapter Awards Committee on a point rating system.

Four other ICC chapters won the Chapter Merit Award in the competition for the esteemed Chapter of the Year Award, which went to the Central Florida Chapter of ICC. The other chapters receiving the Chapter Merit Award were the Colorado Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, the Northwest Building Officials & Code Administrators Chapter of Illinois, the Southern California Fire Prevention Officers Association and the Virginia Building Code Officials Association.

Tamara Hagerman of Baldwin City, who succeeded Amy Barenklau of Paola as KCMAPT President in March, said her chapter members feel honored to receive the Chapter Merit Award. She credited Barenklau's unique building safety lectures to young elementary students as a major reason why KCMAPT was a recipient.

"Her innovative and creative building safety and education ideas - have elementary school children in the KC Metro area thinking building codes are cool,' Hagerman said in her remarks to accept the Chapter Merit Award in Portland.

Other activities recognized by the Chapter Awards Committee were the chapter's continuing education efforts for members, promoting Building Safety Month and its members' involvement in the Kansas Disaster Assessment Team, which responds to flood, tornado and other disaster events in the Kansas City region.

Last week, Hagerman and Barenklau helped launch a national blog aimed at promoting ICC permit technician chapters throughout the nation. The blog, called PT Hotwire, is sponsored and managed by KCMAPT, but is designed to be used by all ICC permit technician members and chapters to post professional news, chapter events, meeting notices, educational events and career help.

"Permit technicians need a forum that is unique to our professional issues and interests," Barenklau said. "We are making this easy to access and easy to use. Chapters can post news items, education course notices and career help. Members can register with the blog and respond by sharing their experience and advice."

Hagerman said the blog should also raise the profile of permit technician chapters and members with the rest of the ICC universe and the interested public.

"It's going to be a great tool when you're at work and for chapter meetings," Hagerman said. "I think we as ICC Certified Permit Technician Chapters should participate in this endeavor. We have a voice. We should express our views and opinions, and that's what the PT Hotwire is all about."

The link to PT Hotwire is: http://blog.kcmapt.org/ .

Click here to view Fire Safety Week Tips for Fire Safety Week 2012.

The International Code Council and the National Fire Protection Association announced the formation of the Coalition for Current Safety Codes (CCSC). The coalition will advance public safety in the built environment by advocating states and municipal jurisdictions adopt current building, fire prevention, sustainable, electrical and life safety codes. Click here for more information.

Results of the Chapter's roofing permit fee survey can be found here .

The results of the final action hearings for the Group A code changes can be found on the ICC website .
The schedule for the Group B code hearings in Dallas in April can be found here . Proposed code changes that will be heard beginning on Sunday, April 21 can be found here .

Kansas City Metro Association of Permit Technicians current Past President Amy Barenklau (left) and current President Tamara Hagerman met with Rick Hauffe, ICC Government Relations Regional Manager, about professional challenges and providing opportunities for building permit technicians in Kansas, the Midwest and the rest of the nation. The three met in Paola, Kansas, where Barenklau works for the city government. Hagerman works for nearby Baldwin City. Topics included the Chapter's efforts in the last several years to sponsor training events and networking with other state and regional Chapters of permit technicians to enhance education and career opportunities.