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The ICC and NFPA Fallout: The OTHER Building Code

The International Building Code is a relatively new model building code, having first been published just over a decade ago in 1997.  Prior to its development, there were three model building codes in use throughout the United States.  Each had been developed by a different industry entity, and used in particular parts (West Coast, Southern U.S. and Midwest/East Coast) of the United States.

One of the main reasons that the International Building Code was written was to unify these three codes and make one cohesive building code, which could be used and understood in all parts of the United States.  It was the combined work of the three original code developers that resulted in the drafting and subsequent publication of the International Building Code.

What may be lesser known about the drafting of this code by the International Code Council is that the original participating groups also included the National Fire Protection Association.  The NFPA was established in 1896, and already had a rich history by the time the writing of the IBC was undertaken in 1997.  The NFPA and all of its standards had gained wide acceptance in the industry, so that 100 years after its inception, it made sense to include the NFPA in the drafting of the IBC.

The mission of the National Fire Protection Agency is [1]: “To reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazzards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.”  The non-profit NFPA claims a membership of approximately 81,000 individuals and about eighty companies.  The NFPA was in its early years when the Iroquois Theater Fire took the lives of 600 people in less than an hour, the same fire that lead to the invention of the Von Duprin exit device.  This tragedy came to publicly emphasize the need for cohesive national public standards on fire safety and prevention.  In the subsequent years, the NFPA helped developed codes and standards for many different industries, as well as recommendations for homeowners and renters.

When the ICC began consulting with the NFPA on the drafting of the International Building Code, it appeared to be a logical and mutually agreeable partnership.  However, after only the first draft of the IBC, the National Fire Protection Association and the International Code Council the two organizations reached an impasse.  The disagreements stemmed, in part, from differences over costs to individual companies in training and implementing the recommendations in the first draft of the IBC.  Several attempts to reach a consensus failed, and eventually the NFPA left the table altogether.

The ICC and its other partnering organizations went on to complete the International Building Code, despite the absence of that key player.  Meanwhile, the NFPA partnered with other industry groups to develop an alternative set of codes, the Comprehensive Consensus Codes (C3).  The C3 includes three sets of codes [2] on fire safety and prevention: the NFPA 5,000, the NFPA 101, and the NFPA 1.

Currently, it’s up to individual states and regions which and how many sets of codes to adopt.  The IBC is widely accepted across the United States, and some areas also adhere to the more stringent recommendations of the C3.

[1] National Fire Protection Association.  “About Us.” 2009.  http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=143&URL=About%20Us

[2] National Fire Protection Association.  “List of NFPA Codes and Standards.”  2009.  http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/list_of_codes_and_standards.asp

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