In a recent press release, the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, a leading commercial real estate advocate, strongly denounced the apparent failure of both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Code Council (ICC) to coordinate their code development efforts. BOMA states that the recent decision by NFPA to begin development of its own separate building code is the latest step toward a patchwork quilt of competing and conflicting codes throughout the United States. BOMA believes this will do nothing to enhance public health and safety, but will serve to cause confusion and inconsistency in code enforcement and interpretation.
BOMA has long encouraged NFPA and ICC to work together to jointly create one unified set of codes, but the two groups have been unable to put aside their differences and work together toward this mutual goal.
“More than one set of codes serves only to benefit individual interests and not the property professionals, tenants and the general public who will all suffer as a result of the inconsistent enforcement and interpretation of these various codes,” said BOMA President Richard D. Baier, managing director for CB Richard Ellis in Kansas City, Mo. “These groups must reevaluate the way they are handling themselves and stop putting their self-interests ahead of those who use, interpret and enforce these codes on a daily basis.
BOMA vows to continue to push both organizations to resolve their differences, coordinate their efforts and put forth one complete set of codes for the built environment. BOMA formed the “Get It Together” coalition of national organizations representing owners, managers, designers and builders of private and publicly owned real estate in a concerted effort to encourage communication between the ICC and NFPA. The offer by BOMA and the members of the coalition to provide mediation as a means of resolving their differences stands. For more information, visit the BOMA International Web site at www.boma.org.
