Smoke Detectors Are No. One Item to Save Lives
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition March 2017.
In the past, building was a simple thing, but the ‘simple’ triggered accidents, so it was the most expensive way of building, because in many occasions it caused deaths. The days of building a house or commercial building without taking into consideration human safety is a thing of the past.
If you remember, the style was to leave electric cables visible and sometimes hanging, or sewer buried not even ten inches deep and to top that off often they would run potable water lines side by side with sewer lines. Wow! If you think you can do that under the rules and regulations that cities now have as a guide. Well, that is not going to fly.
The City of McAllen, is a leading municipality that is constantly updating its code book, so, says Luis A. Vasquez, CBO, MPC, Chief Building Official for the City of McAllen. He is an officer that you should listen to if you are in the business of building. Vasquez has worked for the City of McAllen and the building permit and inspection department for the last 27 years.
Just to give our readers the scope of his experience, he started as a field inspector, and from there he became manager. He said, “I have been blessed; I became the director of the department twelve years ago.”
He told Texas Border Business that there are areas within the building environment where the building code addresses cosmetic or carpentry and flooring. This type of work is not part of the lifesaving requirements.
He went on to say that every community adopts building codes and they are adopted for the protection and welfare of the public. “They regulate to a minimum standard to save lives; the building code addresses the structure part of the building.” He said, “The reason for this is because of natural disasters sometimes bring adversity to people or property.”
In addition, he said, “We have earthquakes, hurricanes, hail storms, anything that causes damage, can make buildings collapse or hurt our citizens.” He pointed out that one of the most important of the areas where they engage is on structure requirements. The building code has minimum standards that builders must follow. He said that especially in this area, hurricane wind loads can break certain materials if they were not the adequate materials for the building and could collapse.
Vasquez said, “In this region, snow loads are not part of the calculation for structural engineers, in this area we do have high strong winds.” According to Vasquez, the code says, that following the minimum standard prescribed for building, it becomes a safe building against natural disasters.
Another disaster that is common in buildings is fire. He said, “Fire is the number one disaster that causes death, and even more dangerous is the smoke produced by the fire.” The building codes also have protection from fire to protect safety and the health of those inside and to insure they are able to enter and exit safely. “There is certain classification of use that we are required to have a fire rating to protect lives, to give the fire department enough time to assess or to rescue to better protect life and properties.”
The other area inspection departments watch carefully is plumbing. He said, “Sewer gases can contaminate and cause people to die.”
Electrical is another component of building structure that has a high level of importance. “Electrical that is not under code, creates lots of fires.” Once it is under code, he says, the possibility of an electrical fire does not occur.
Vasquez said that all these codes are very important for a community to adopt and enforce through its building department. “This is to save lives,” he stated.
Currently, the City of McAllen is under the 2012 building edition code. Every three years the building codes are updated. “The reason that they are updated is to protect lives, properties, and the general welfare,” he said.
The City of McAllen follows The International Code Council (ICC). “In our case, I look at the updated codes along with my staff, and if there is a recommendation to upgrade the city’s code we’ll take it up with the mayor and commissioners,” he finalized. TBB
