Crack the Code

As a fire fighter, you have the knowledge and skills needed to write and advocate for building codes that protect life, property, and create a safer working environment for yourself and your coworkers. Being active in the building code process is one of the most effective ways to perform your job.

There are two main ways you can get involved in the building code process in your local city or town:

This page provides an overview of the code writing and adoption processes for the ICC and the NFPA and tips on becoming involved in code hearing meetings in your local jurisdiction.

First, you should develop a relationship with your local fire marshal. They can share information on upcoming building code meetings, help write proposed code changes, and help you find research to back up your code proposal.

The next step is to determine if your local jurisdiction adopts the ICC or NFPA codes. The ICC and NFPA have different code adoption processes. Below is a brief overview of the steps involved:

International Code Council (ICC)
Anyone can submit a code proposal to the ICC during the revision period, which typically occurs every three years. The revision schedule can be found here.

National Fire Protection Association
Anyone can submit a recommendation to change the code during the public input period. Click here for a list of standards and codes currently accepting public input. Click here to view the full list of NFPA standards.

Participating in local code hearing meetings in your town or city can be the deciding factor in getting your local government to adopt new codes. Sometimes, just showing up at the meeting with your fellow fire fighters, which shows a unified dedication to fire safety through improved building codes, is enough to influence advisory committees to take the safety of first responders into account when adopting new codes. The presence of local union members at a committee meeting has helped many jurisdictions adopt new code language and reject appeals by building owners who try to get exceptions from fire and building code compliance. You can learn more about getting involved in your local code hearings by viewing the following video:

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws requiring advanced notice of building and fire code advisory meetings, but every state has different meeting procedures. The easiest way to determine your state’s meeting schedule is to contact your local fire marshal.

Keep in the mind the following tips when presenting your case at a codes meeting: