Building & Safety Open House

   In honor of International Building Safety Week, May 5 – 11, the City of Big Bear Lake will host its tenth annual Building & Safety Open House on Tuesday, May 6 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Hofert Hall at the Civic Center, located at 39707 Big Bear Blvd. There is no fee for admission. Residents, homeowners, contractors, industry partners and members of the community are encouraged to attend.

   The event will join a worldwide celebration that week intended to raise awareness by promoting the use, enforcement and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to protect lives and property. Several vendors from the building industry will be on hand to highlight their products, market their services and provide information. Companies include: Smithhaven Homes, Timberline Hearth & Patio, Timber Craft Corporation, L C Adaptor, and Interwest Consulting Group. In addition, staff from various City departments, including Code, Engineering, Planning and Building and Safety will be available to answer questions. For more information, residents can call (909) 866-5831, ext. 140.

   Building code regulations exist in the City of Big Bear Lake to help ensure homes, schools, workplaces and other buildings are as safe as possible. Codes address all aspects of construction including structural integrity, electrical, mechanical, plumbing systems and property maintenance. The City’s Building and Safety Division staff help ensure buildings in the community are safe places in which to live, work, play and learn. The Division is also responsible for issuing building permits and reviewing plans.

   “Building Safety Week recognizes the important professionals who make sure buildings in our community are safe and that public safety remains our number one concern,” stated Jim Miller, Director of Building and Safety. Recently, the City adopted the 2007 CBC Building Codes, which included a new regulation for Wildland Urban Interface.

   “We encourage developers, builders and the public to attend this very informative event and receive updates on new design criteria for plan checks,” Miller emphasized. In an age of do-it-yourselfers, it becomes vital for homeowners to work with their local government agency to ensure their residence complies with building safety codes.

   The City is an active member of the International Code Council, a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention. The Council develops codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings. Today, thousands of jurisdictions, including cities and counties, adopt those codes to enforce safe building practices in their own communities.

   First observed in 1980, Building Safety Week is sponsored by the International Code Council Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to changing the devastating effects of natural disasters and other building tragedies worldwide by promoting ideas, methods and technologies that encourage the construction of durable, sustainable buildings and homes.

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