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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	March, 2007	Return to newsletter index

Building Smarter Every Day

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Safe and proper construction of buildings is rarely on your mind when you enter a home or building. Fortunately, the staff in the Saco Codes Enforcement Department thinks about building safety and fire prevention every day. To help raise your awareness of building safety, the Saco Codes Enforcement Department is celebrating Building Safety Week from May 6 through 12. During this worldwide celebration, we will be promoting the use, enforcement, and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to protect lives and property.

"Building Smarter...for Disasters and Everyday Life" is the theme of Building Safety Week 2007.

"The importance of regulating and enforcing building codes is often overlooked until a catastrophic tragedy occurs," said Richard Lambert, head of the Saco Codes Enforcement Department. "By inspecting buildings during and after construction, we help to ensure that buildings in the community are safe places in which to live, work, play, and learn."

Building code regulations in Saco help to ensure that buildings are as safe as possible. Codes address all aspects of construction including structural integrity, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems, energy efficiency, and property maintenance. Effective code enforcement requires the support of homeowners, architects, builders, engineers, and others in the construction industry. "Building Safety Week recognizes the important professionals who make sure the buildings in our community are safe. Public safety is our number one concern," said Lambert. "Building and fire officials are here to help you understand building safety issues. In this age of do-it-yourselfers it is extremely important for homeowners to work with the Saco Codes Officials to make sure their residences fully comply with building safety codes."

Building Safety Week, first observed in 1980, is sponsored by the International Code Council Foundation, an organization dedicated to changing the devastating effects of natural disasters and other building tragedies. Saco is an active member of the International Code Council, a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention. The International Code Council develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties, and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.