Intl. Code Council committee on diversity seeks applicants

The International Code Council is seeking applicants for a new Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) established by the Board of Directors.

The committee’s goal is to increase DEI in the membership association while helping Code Council members diversify their own organizations and the building safety profession. The new committee will help the Code Council take the next steps in bringing in new individuals to the association and the building safety industry to fill a workforce gap and boost inclusivity in the community.

“We recognize that some individuals have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, and we are committed to advancing inclusion in all activities of the Code Council,” said Code Council Board President Cindy Davis, CBO. “This committee will bring together voices from across the built environment to research best practices and provide a list of recommendations for the Board to consider.”

All meetings will be conducted via teleconference. Participation will be voluntary and unpaid. Applicants from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including code officials, architects, engineers and contractors. Applicants do not need to be current Code Council members.

New York City has two very large buildings dedicated to answering the 911 calls of its five boroughs. With more than 11 million emergency calls annually, it makes perfect sense. The second of these buildings, the Public Safety Answering Center II (PSAC II) is located on a nine-acre parcel of land in the Bronx. It’s an imposing 450,000 square-foot structure—a 240-foot-wide by 240-foot-tall cube. The gleaming aluminum cube risesthe equivalent of 24 stories from behind a grassy berm, projecting the unlikely impression that it might actually be floating. Like most visually striking structures, the building has drawn as much scorn as it has admiration.