“Building Safety Where You Live, Work and Play”

When you enter a house or building, most likely you’re not thinking about whether it is properly constructed and safe. Fortunately, your local safety experts think about building safety and fire prevention every day. To help raise awareness of building safety, the West Bloomfield Township Building Department is celebrating Building Safety Week from May 5th through 11th. Across the nation, communities will promote the use and understanding of building safety and fire prevention codes to protect lives and property. The theme is “Building Safety: Where You Live, Work and Play.”

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 “The important work we do is often overlooked until a catastrophic tragedy occurs,” said West Bloomfield Township, Assistant Building Director, Thomas M. Walsh. Inspectors, plan reviewers and others in the West Bloomfield Township Building Department work to ensure the safety of the structures in which all of us live, work, attend school, worship and play. These officials provide the first line of defense against building disasters. We are silent but vigilant guardians who work daily to ensure safety in the built environment.

Building safety and fire prevention codes address all aspects of construction, such as structural soundness of buildings, reliability of fire prevention and suppression systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency and sustainability. To ensure buildings are safe this requires the active participation of building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, builders, engineers, and others in the construction industry, as well as property owners.

“Public safety is our number one concern,” said Mr. Walsh. “During Building Safety Week and all year long, building safety and fire prevention officials are here to help protect you and your community.”

An open house will be held at West Bloomfield Township Hall the week of May 5th through 9th, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm located at 4550 Walnut Lake Road. The Township Building Department will have an area in the lobby with staff members to answer questions, theses include:

• Informational brochures about codes, construction and career opportunities
• Activity books featuring “Codie the Cougar” for children
• Helpful information regarding disaster preparedness, mold, and flood cleanup
• Video programs on the importance of building codes will be displayed
• Free home safety inspection (by appointment only)
• Free smoke detectors (while supplies last)

Building Safety Week, first observed in 1980, is sponsored by the International Code Council, a membership organization dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, of which West Bloomfield Township is an active member. The International Code Council develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools.

Open House / Home Improvement Workshop

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