Each year in the United States more than 3,000 people die, thousands are injured and over $10 Billion in property is lost as a result of fire. As a way to enhance public safety in buildings and reduce these losses from fire, U.S. Congress has introduced the Community Building Code Administration Grant Act of 2007.

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a professional society for engineers involved in the field of fire protection engineering, supports the bill that would improve building and fire code enforcement in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

“Improved code enforcement will lead to better design and construction practices,” said Chris Jelenewicz, Engineering Program Manager with SFPE. “As a result, our nation’s schools, hospitals, shopping centers, homes and high-rise buildings will be better protected.”

This legislation will authorize a grant program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If enacted and funded, this law would provide locally matched federal grants to jurisdictions that seek to upgrade their local building and fire code administration and enforcement resources. These grants would provide $100 million per year over five years to help local governments employ building and fire code officials.