Safer Buildings Coalition WORK GROUP ROUNDUP - July 2020 

In this section we’ll bring you updates on the important work done by our Codes & Standards, Government Affairs, Advancement & Public Safety Technology Work Groups.

Our Work Groups are the vehicles by which:

• Members’ voices are heard as SBC develops new public policy, codes, and standards (Government Affairs, Codes and Standards, Public Safety Technology) 

• Members tell us how to improve the Coalition to better serve them and the mission (Advancement)

• Members can hear first changes in the industry involving all of the above. Each Work Group is guided by a Chair and a Vice Chair. The reports below will provide monthly updates from the Chair of each Work Group.

• Participation in Work Groups is one of the best ways to realize value form your Safer Buildings Coalition Membership. Work Group participation is open to all Members of every type.

If you are interested in participating in a Work Group, please contact the Chair of the group.

Work Group Updates:

Codes & Standards Work Group

Advancement Work Group

Gov't Affairs Work Group

Public Safety Technology Work Group

Codes & Standards Work Group Update

• UL2524 work group: The UL2524 work group will be folded into the Public Safety Technical Subcommittee since many of the topics and participants will be the same.

• NFPA 780 & ERCES: The group will attempt to further clarify when NFPA 780 applies to ERCES system. Members will be working on draft public comments as a contribution to the clarification effort. For more information about this project, please refer to Chief Perdue’s column in this newsletter.
  

• Fire-rated backbone: ERCES back bone research request has commenced with the Fire Protection Research Foundation. Process will include review, RFP will be issued to determine feasibility, cost and other parameters to perform the test. Sponsorship of this effort is desired.

• BDA Directory: V2 of the directory, including UL2524 look-ups, is now active.

• DAS Directory: Input templates created. Target date for online publication: End of July.

Advancement Work Group Update

The Safer Buildings Coalition Advancement group is wrapping up the “Vertical matrix" process with the committee members and has established the processes for interviewing members, then non-members in the same vertical or in the same line of business.  

Group members will meet with the SBC staff first to assure the group isn’t duplicating efforts already done through the SBC marketing staff. Following that meeting, the Advancement Group will move forward with contacting different members within the SBC membership for value of SBC, retention and expectations.

Government Affairs Work Group Update

For an update on the Government Affairs Work Group’s activities, please see Hot Government Policy Items – What Your Company Needs to Track”

Public Safety Technology Work Group Update

In its latest meeting, the Public Safety Technology Work Group discussed the NICET survey the Coalition is working on. The group also talked moving UL2524-related work from Codes & Standards to this group. 

Also on the agenda: A discussion about problems with current BDAs and how the manufactures should take this opportunity to build products that help the licensee AHJ. 

Chair Matt Brown, HetNet, asked the group to start a list of acceptable functionality in a BDA and then to encourage manufacturers to build what is needed.