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"Training not only helps code enforcement officials develop their skills and knowledge, but it is also an important motivational tool," he said. |
A three-day training program tailor-made for college and university professionals who enforce New York State building and safety codes on their campuses was offered for the first time at SUNY Fredonia June 1. The program provided 24 hours of in-service training as required by New York State. National and international experts in the area of safety and building codes were brought in to conduct the training.
Uniquely designed for a commercial environment rather than residential code compliance, the in-service training program was the brainchild of Anne Podolak, director of environmental health and safety, and Markus Kessler, director of facilities planning, at SUNY Fredonia.
The two designed the program after 18 months of research spent determining the focus of the training as well as the level of interest statewide. The program drew a total of 83 professionals who are responsible for implementing the health and safety codes set by New York State. They represented 33 public and private colleges, the SUNY Construction Fund, the Dormitory Authority, and other state agencies outside of higher education.
Courses covered code updates, safety issues concerning elevators and hoistways, fire protection systems, hazardous materials, ethics in code enforcement, UL and counterfeit products, ecological building standards, and more.
In addition to ensuring health, safety and accessibility for the public, New York State's building codes are increasingly being seen as a means of achieving greater energy efficiency and sustainability.
“New York State requires colleges and universities, as well as most state agencies, to have two code-compliance officers, and it requires that those officers receive 24 hours of in-service training each year,” Podolak said. “Traditionally, we would get this training by attending municipal training programs that are tailored more for residential code enforcement.”
Podolak and Kessler drew together a committee that will continue to sustain the program. The committee has created a five year plan that calls for training sessions like the one just offered at Fredonia to occur twice a year at different locations around the state, especially the central and western regions. SUNY Fredonia will host the 24-hour training program every third year, Podolak said.
Besides Podolak and Kessler, committee members are Joseph Schiavone of the City of Buffalo, Charles Reyes of SUNY Geneseo; Tim Gainey of SUNY Oswego, Dan Maas and Ralph D'Amato of Cornell University; Joseph Conroy of Albany Medical Center, Jody Nolan of Rochester Institute of Technology, and David Miller of Buffalo State College.
