Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS)

Wraparound services needed to remedy homelessness To alleviate the country’s crisis in housing and homelessness, national and local leaders are urging large urban counties to go beyond merely providing more housing and address broader societal issues, like lack of access to health care, food insecurity and substance use disorder.

Calling local building departments, contractors, developers – join our remote inspections steering committee!

Remote building inspections offer an attractive possible approach for local building departments, especially for those facing backlogs, staffing gaps, long drive times, and construction surges.

If your community is using or is interested in learning more about this technology, we invite you to join our remote inspections steering committee. The committee will explore best practices, barriers, and opportunities to better understand how remote inspections can be beneficial to jurisdictions and contractors.

Sign up at the link below!
https://www.ibts.org/steering-committee/

IBTS’ work on the Panasonic electric vehicle (EV) battery project in De Soto, Kansas continues! IBTS was chosen by the City of De Soto Government to provide onsite inspections and remote building plan reviews. Given the size and scope, this project has building plans that contain hundreds of pages that need reviewing as quickly, safely, and efficiently as possible. IBTS is proud to support the City of De Soto in ensuring the safety of the facility. EV battery production is slated to begin in March 2025.

Learn more about our plan review services: https://www.ibts.org/what-we-do/building-services/building-department/planpeer-review/

With Governors focused on aligning workforce and economic development activities across their states, NGA’s Summer Workforce Symposium brought together state leaders, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, to focus on developing a skilled workforce and expanding economic opportunity. The symposium also marked the launch of NGA’s Workforce Strategic Planning Collaborative, a new joint effort between […]. https://www.nga.org/news/commentary/nga-holds-summer-workforce-symposium-in-fargo/

Congratulations to the City of Central Louisiana!

The City applied for and received a grant for $8,000 from Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s Healthy Communities Grant! This award will be used to fund programs, project and campaigns focused on litter removal and prevention, waste management and reduction, recycling, reusing, and refusing, litter enforcement and other related efforts resulting in a cleaner more beautiful Louisiana.

IBTS’ Board of Directors helps guide our work by advising on topics that matter to state and local governments. For our annual meeting last week in Portland, ME, IBTS’ leadership and Board discussed how we can assist governments with affordable housing, workforce development, clean energy, and other key service areas. The meeting also gave us the opportunity to officially welcome Anne Miller, State of Colorado CRO, as our newest Board Member, representing National Governors Association

Thank you to our Board for your time, energy, and ideas. It’s always
a great time when we come together to discuss and develop pathways toward the
future!

National Association of Counties National League of Cities The Council of State Governments ICMA - International City/County Management Association

City of Central, Louisiana Extends IBTS’ Contract!

IBTS is excited to announce that our contract with the City of Central Louisiana has been extended another five years! In this extension, we can expect that the City will benefit from enhanced drainage maintenance, new equipment, enhanced beautification services, proactive street maintenance, and a larger staff to serve residents. IBTS has partnered with the City since 2011.

City management has already added several new staff members, ordered new equipment, and began implementing new schedules for work to be completed.

We are excited to see the City continue to flourish and make it a more desirable place to live.

National League of Cities' President Victoria Woodards, ICMA President Jeff Towery, Local Government Hispanic Network - LGHN Noel Bernal, and African American Mayors Association President Shawyn Patterson discuss the value of professional municipal management and the importance of leadership in long-term planning to support economic growth in a panel presentation at the 2023 Experiencia Puerto Rico conference moderated by Agnes Crespo Quintana, Director, Puerto Rico Region for Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS).

Aprenderás a:
✅ Planificar, dirigir la construcción y mantenimiento de proyectos desde el inicio hasta entregar el proyecto completado.
✅ Utilizar técnicas de negociación con suplidores y subcontratistas.
✅ Asegurar la efectividad y eficiencia del proyecto.

Comunícate al 787-905-7217 para solicitar información. Uno de nuestros representantes te orientará sobre el Programa de Capacitación Laboral (WFT, por sus siglas en inglés).
Para solicitar admisión, visita www.trainingcenterhc.com Información sobre el programa CDBG-DR, en: https://cdbg-dr.pr.gov/capacitacion-laboral/CDBG DR Puerto Rico

August is Disaster Resilience Month! FEMA is using this month to highlight community mitigation stories. Find out how we can help your community prepare for and build back stronger from disasters: https://www.ibts.org/what-we-do/resilience-services/

August is Disaster Resilience Month! To celebrate, Administrator Criswell will travel across the country to highlight community mitigation projects.

To learn about projects and grant programs that will help communities build resilience and reduce disaster loss, visit: www.fema.gov/press-release/20230801/fema-highlight-hazard-mitigation-projects-nationwide-announce-additional

At IBTS, we have a passion for helping communities prepare for and recover from natural disasters. We offer an array of services to assist jurisdictions before, during, and after a disaster.
Services we offer include:
· Disaster Planning
· Disaster Recovery
· Subrecipient Agreements
· Accelerated Inspections
· Pre-Event Contracts
For more information about IBTS disaster management services, please visit https://lnkd.in/ghbUAbPa

August is Disaster Resilience Month! To celebrate, Administrator Criswell will travel across the country to highlight community mitigation projects.

To learn about projects and grant programs that will help communities build resilience and reduce disaster loss, visit: www.fema.gov/press-release/20230801/fema-highlight-hazard-mitigation-projects-nationwide-announce-additional

IBTS Announces 2024 and 2025 Focus Areas

IBTS is excited to announce that our work will be defined and guided by three focus areas for 2024 and 2025.

THE INSTITUTE
BUILDING SERVICES
GOVERNANCE FOR GOVERNMENT

Learn more about these areas and what they mean for our work, clients, partners and staff at https://www.ibts.org/ibts-focus-areas/

Estamos muy orgullosos de nuestra directora regional de Puerto Rico Agnes Crespo-Quintana quien moderó un excelente panel hoy día sobre la profesionalización de la administración municipal y del desarrollo de las ciudades--tema importante tanto para Puerto Rico como también para los EE.UU. en general.

"Estos profesionales, sumamente comprometidos a su labor, han compartido con nosotros su salsa secreta para el liderazgo", dijo la licensiada. "Compartieron su visión a la estrategia táctica de cómo construir sustentabilidad a largo plazo; identificando inicialmente un liderazgo experimentado y comprometido, implementando decisiones de alto impacto para promover el crecimiento y la innovación".


ICMA - International City/County Management Association
National League of Cities
African American Mayors Association Local Government Hispanic Network - LGHN

Si visitas Experiencia Puerto Rico hoy, pasa por el panel que estará moderando Lcda. Agnes Crespo-Quintana, directora de la región de Puerto Rico de IBTS titulado profesionalización de la gestión municipal y el desarrollo de las ciudades--perspectiva de administradores y alcaldes con Presidenta, National League of Cities (NLC)- Victoria Woodards; Presidente, ICMA - International City/County Management Association - Jeff Towery; Gerente de Condado de Adams, Colorado - Miembro de la Junta de Directores, Local Government Hispanic Network - LGHN - Noel Bernal; Presidente, African American Mayors Association (AAMA) - y Alcaldesa de Municipio de Mount Vernon, Nueva York - Shawyn Patterson.

If you're at the Louisiana Municipal Association Annual Conference today, August 3, 2023, stop by booth 147 and visit with IBTS' Larry Walters & Ray Louis about local government solutions and green initiatives!

Congratulations to IBTS' Curt Skoog, Mayor of Overland Park, Kansas, for his selection to be a part of the seventh class of Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative!

IBTS is proud and thankful to have Curt as a member of our team.

Learn more at https://www.bloomberg.org/press/bloomberg-harvard-city-leadership-initiative-announces-seventh-class-of-mayors/

The private sector invests $42 billion each year in executive development, but there's no equivalent in the public sector. That's where the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative comes in.

The program provides mayors from around the world with leadership training to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. Learn more about the sixth cohort of mayors participating in the program: https://bloombg.org/3AYGOMk

IBTS’ Chris Miller addressed NACo’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee at about how small, rural, and/or low-resource counties can leverage shared services to improve citizen services and facilitate economic development. This approach, and a partnership with IBTS, is how the community of De Soto, KS (population 6,118) is prepared for Panasonic’s $4 billion investment in a new manufacturing facility and all the water and transportation infrastructure that comes with it.

National Association of Counties

If you’re attending today, don’t miss IBTS’ Chris Miller as he speaks at 2:15pm CT! Chris will be speaking during the Agricultural & Rural Affairs Committee Meeting on Level 4, Room 18A.

National Association of Counties

If you're attending the today, don't miss IBTS' Patrick Howell as he speaks at 1:30pm MT! Patrick will join a panel of other subject matter experts from FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, University of Colorado Boulder, California State University, East Bay, and Texas A&M University to present on Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Tools for Equitable Planning.

Join IBTS in celebrating America's birthday! Have a safe and Happy

This Juneteenth, IBTS honors the courage and resilience of Black Americans in the fight to defeat slavery. Juneteenth serves as a reminder of the inequities that still persist today. At IBTS, we are committed to the pursuit of equitable outcomes for people of color and to creating a future that embraces diversity and empowers underserved communities. Happy !

Felicidades a todos los que completaron el curso de Control de la Calidad Solar (QA/QC) en el municipio de Caguas!

Ante el auge de la industria de energía solar en Puerto Rico el Consejo Interestatal de Energía Renovable (The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)) y el Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), se unieron por segundo año consecutivo para brindar de manera gratuita un adiestramiento dirigido a supervisores de crew, inspectores, diseñadores e instaladores de la industria de energía solar libre de costo.

Con el uso de energía solar creciendo rápido en Puerto Rico, programas de adiestramiento como este serán esenciales para crecer y fortalecer la fuerza laboral de energía limpia. Esta es una capacitación práctica que muestra a los profesionales en energía cómo inspeccionar los paneles solares para garantizar que funcionen de manera segura y efectiva.

Gracias a Huertas College y a la Panaderia La Borinqueña "Caguas" en el Municipio Autónomo de Caguas por brindar sus espacios para la clase!

Los residentes de en el Municipio Autonomo De Ponce, son, en una palabra, apasionados por construir la resiliencia de sus comunidades. En nuestra reunión más reciente con sus líderes y representantes comunitarios, ellos demostraron este entusiasmo mientras navegamos por los próximos pasos para desarrollar su Plan de Resiliencia Comunitaria financiado por el Departamento de la Vivienda a través de su Programa de Planificación Integral de la Resiliencia Comunitaria (WCRP, por sus siglas en inglés), diseñado por Foundation for Puerto Rico.
El resultado de la reunión fue el nacimiento de un comité que servirá de enlace entre IBTS y los miembros de la comunidad durante este proceso de desarrollo. Estamos muy agradecidos por todas las personas que se unieron al grupo y su determinación de asegurarse de que su plan de resiliencia no solo se desarrolle, sino que finalmente se implemente en beneficio de sus vecinos.

As we come to the end of National Building Safety Month, it is imperative to keep building safety and climate resilience at the forefront of our minds, not only in our own communities, but for those around the globe. With the world’s ever-changing landscape of extreme weather and climate impacts, building technology and safety must account for the unique challenges, hazards, and opportunities of various regions. In the Caribbean, for example, we understand that, while there may be regionally developed model building codes tailored to the context of Small Island Developing States, national and local capacity to effectively implement those regulations is often lacking.

In a recent conversation with Dr. Judith Harvey, a St Lucia-based civil engineer who worked on the UK sponsored Smart Healthcare Facilities Project executed by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), we learned of the important role of third-party technical experts, locally known as Check Consultants, to augment local regulatory authorities with plan review and site inspection services. This assures that buildings are not only built to code but have exceeded minimum requirements to ensure occupant safety and reduce losses and damages in the case of a major disaster. This was how Chateaubelair Hospital was able to withstand the recent Volcanic eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines. When permission was given to re-occupy the facility, only cleaning was required.

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Photo Credit: https://pahodisasters.org/powerbi-picts/smarthosp/chateaubelair-hospital.jpg

Puertorriqueños: Seas cliente de LUMA o alguna compañía de energía renovable, la Ley de Transformación y Alivia Energética de Puerto Rico estipula que tenemos derechos.

Aquí les presentamos el último video que creamos para una campaña que tiene como propósito orientar a consumidores interesados en adquirir un sistema de energía solar. La campaña es liderada por el Consejo Interestatal de Energía Renovable (IREC) y la Oficina Independiente de Protección al Consumidor (OIPC).

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)
OIPC - Oficina Independiente de Protección al Consumidor

Los derechos que te cobijan como cliente del servicio eléctrico Seas cliente de LUMA o alguna compañia de energía renovable, la Ley de Transformación y Alivia Energética de Puerto Rico estipula que tenemos derechos.Este v...

NEW REPORT: An Assessment of Opportunities and Barriers to Solar Finance in Puerto Rico takes a comprehensive look at the current status of financing for the development of solar-plus-storage across the residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-scale sectors in Puerto Rico.

This updated report, released in partnership with Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), includes a discussion of the findings and recommendations for moving forward in making solar-plus-storage more widely available to Puerto Rico via robust and sustainable finance options.

Learn more & explore it now at https://bit.ly/437bohV!

IBTS está apoyando la recuperación de Puerto Rico a nivel comunitario a través del Whole Community Resilience Program ( , en inglés), el cual ayuda a las comunidades a desarrollar sus propios Planes de Resiliencia Comunitaria (CRPs, por sus siglas en inglés). Como parte de nuestro proceso de planificación, hoy asistimos a una feria de salud en Ceiba Carmelita, Vega Alta, nos reunirnos con las partes interesadas y recopilamos información sobre oportunidades para mejorar la salud pública durante y después de desastres. Esta comunidad es una de las 10 que apoyamos como parte del WCRP. Brian Javier Rodriguez Acevedo Argenis Cátala Sánchez Vega Baja, Puerto Rico Vega Alta

The theme for National Building Safety Month Week 4 is Advocating for Your Community. We are committed to building safety at the community level by providing training and creating pathways for local workforce. A confident and well-trained workforce ensures communities are safer, stronger, and economically empowered.
Pictured, IBTS's Rudy Saporite trains Puerto Rico inspectors on solar quality assurance so that professional electricians and engineers learn how to properly safeguard the wellbeing of photovoltaic end-users, ascertaining installations are safe, efficient, and well maintained. If you're an Island local engineer or electrician, make sure to sign up for the next FREE QA/QC class happening June 8th and 9th! Sign Up form: https://lnkd.in/eUtHJX8v

Recientemente, la directora regional de IBTS Puerto Rico, Agnes Crespo-Quintana, tuvo el honor de participar en una conversación con la comisionada residente Jenniffer González en la convención anual del Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association. Aquí les presentamos una porción de la excelente conversación sobre y el futuro de .

Asociación de Industriales de Puerto Rico

Industriales--PRMA 2023 This is "Industriales--PRMA 2023" by IBTS on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Week 3 of National Building Safety Month is Prepare Your Community, which focuses on how building codes protect against natural disasters. This is a topic close to us at IBTS as we have seen firsthand the positive impact that modern building codes--and an effective regulatory environment for implementing them--can have on how communities.

When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005, many of the extensive losses in the state were due to structures not built to current building codes.

Following Katrina, IBTS worked with the State to implement building code standards and establish building code departments. As a result of this work, Louisiana is now more resilient against damaging hurricanes. "Prior to Katrina, there were no statewide building code requirements, people just built what that they wanted to build without guidance,” said IBTS - Louisiana Larry Walters, CBO, CFM, NGBS Verifier, Louisiana Branch Manager, and resident, "Since 2007, there have building codes implemented across the State. Homes are being built better and more resilient because of the work done in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.” Want to learn more? Check out our Case Study here.

Hurricane Katrina Case Study | IBTS This case study summarizes the lessons learned following Hurricane Katrina and the steps taken by IBTS staff to develop and maintain new building codes.

Join IBTS as we celebrate National Building Safety Month!

For Week 1 “Building Safety Starts At Home," we asked our building and energy code professionals to share some of the top safety tips they would like everyone to know. Share these with your customers, constituents, colleagues, and friends to help create a safer community.

1. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. IBTS - Louisiana Branch Manager Larry Walters points out that he has seen many homes with missing electrical panel covers. "People may not realize that it is a problem, but when panel covers are missing, the panel presents a serious risk with electrical wiring and breakers being exposed." If the panel cover cannot be located, you can purchase a replacement at most home improvement stores.

2. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. "If you have a staircase or deck, make sure that balusters are not more than 4 inches apart," says Charlie DeCassios, III, IBTS Building Inspector and Developer. "Having a wider space creates a serious safety risk, particularly for children and pets."

3. 𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲. If you have solar panels installed on your home, keep them maintained safely. “Solar panels do not require a lot of maintenance, but they do need to be inspected annually, ideally during a change in season to check for low hanging wires, soiling or damage, and potential debris build up,” says Rudy Saporite, IBTS Energy Group Program Director. “Visually inspecting a system for these conditions is easy, but getting on the roof always presents a safety risk even for trained professionals.” He notes that homeowners should have a qualified professional inspecting and maintaining their systems. “If you decide to do this yourself, take extra precautions. Make sure there are no tripped circuits or noted arc or ground faults showing on overcurrent protection devices before touching any system components. Always use approved ladders and equipment that is in good working condition and maintain three points of contact when using ladders or occupying the roof. If possible, visually inspect from the eave or, if rooftop access is required, I strongly support the use of approved fall protection equipment and at minimum a basic training on proper use of PPE.”

Be sure to visit the International Code Council for more important home safety tips and visit ibts.org/bds to learn more about our building code services.

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IBTS' Larry Walters, CBO, CFM, NGBS Verifier will be at Mississippi Home Corporation's Annual Affordable Housing Conference, May 9-11, 2023. Stop by his booth to learn more about our verifier services for the National Green Building Standard.

Come by our booth at the Mississippi Home Corporation, Affordable Housing Conference in Biloxi, MS at the Beau Rivage Resort Hotel May 9th through 11th, 2023, where I will be there to promote verifier services for the National Green Building Standard. I have 10+ years of experience as a verifier and have certified over 800 multifamily units. I have been with The Institiute for Building Technology and Safety for 15 years and I am currently the Louisiana Branch Manager for IBTS.

What a great session! IBTS’ Patrick Howell led a fruitful discussion on Friday at the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) conference on how local governments can interact and engage with communities on the pressing topics of and overcoming common barriers to productive engagement results.
The room was filled to the brim with key stakeholders: communication specialists, chief officers, community engagement officials, and experts.
Conversations during this moderated workshop hit on pressing issues being faced by local governments. Top of mind was the lack of engagement from residents, which public administrators suspect is a symptom of feeling unheard by their local governments. Residents, attendees said, are feeling “tapped out” -- they’ve attended hearings and provided requested input, but are not seeing their thoughts reflected in final plans and project implementation, so they’ve become disengaged.
The session led to brainstorming ways on how cities and counties can go beyond the typical public hearing and public input process, directly to the community, to demonstrate the value of their input, and maintain engagement throughout all phases of policy and project development.
Improving how local governments interact and engage with communities is a key issue that is driving shifts in policy, service delivery, and budgeting for cities and counties across the country. From shifting power in decision-making processes to inclusive planning practices, local governments that have been most successful in reaching hard-to-reach populations have been intentional in building trust and meaningful relationships.

For more information on how to engage your community and measure your community's engagement using our unique CRAFT tool, call or email us: [email protected].

Thanks to National Governors Association and all panelists for the excellent discussion last week at !

A few important takeaways:

Adopting the latest building codes is an effective resilience tactic – see National Institute of Building Sciences’ Mitigation Saves report.

Resilience tools help create roadmaps to resilience – see Enterprise Community Partners’ Keep Safe program, which focuses on affordable multifamily housing.

CDBG-MIT and CDBG-DR Action Plans can include innovative programs – Puerto Rico included municipal and community-based resilience planning in their programs.

Pictured:
Chris Fennell, Chief Development Officer, Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) (IBTS)
Anne Miller, Director, Colorado Resiliency Office Director, Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer, Carolina Office of Resilience
Shontae Davis, Supervisory Grant Management Specialist, LA Recovery Office, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
Natalie F. Enclade, PhD, Executive Director, BuildStrong Coalition

Join IBTS at this week! Patrick Howell will be discussing insights and strategies for engaging stakeholders about equitable climate resilience and overcoming common barriers to productive engagement results.

https://tinyurl.com/NFBPAforum23

National Forum for Black Public Administrators

Join us at this week! IBTS' Chris Fennell and panelists will explore socio-economic disparities, challenges, and solutions facing the resilient housing sector, followed by a discussion on recruitment and retention strategies in the disaster response workforce.

https://resconnola.com
National Governors Association

Happy ! We are thankful for all of the hard work and dedication of our administrative staff.

¡No se lo pierdan! Ya pueden ver el segundo video que creamos para el Consejo Interestatal de Energía Renovable (The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) como parte de una campaña de protección al consumidor solar puertorriqueño, lanzado en conjunto con la OIPC - Oficina Independiente de Protección al Consumidor.

Conozca sobre el programa de medición neta de LUMA Energy que le permite a los consumidores de energía solar alimentar la red eléctrica para que no se desperdicie la energía producida por los sistemas solares en la isla.

¡EL tercer video de esta campaña saldrá pronto!

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Don't miss it! Check out the second video we created for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC)'s Puerto Rican solar consumer protection campaign released in conjunction with the -The Puerto Rico Independent Office for Consumer Protection.

Learn about LUMA Energy's net metering program that allows solar consumers to feed the electric grid so no energy produced by solar systems on the Island goes to waste.

Look out for the third video in this campaign soon!

Programa de Medición Neta, o "Net Metering", de LUMA El programa de medición neta permite la interconexión a la red eléctrica de tu sistema fotovoltaico con el propósito de exportar a la red electricidad genera...