This was according to the Board of Professional Licensing as it expressed support for the proper certification of the Building Code Safety Division of the Department of Public Works.
DPW must have International Code Council-certified professional on staff to avoid any claims against the government for improperly built structure, Board of Professional Licensing Chairman Francisco Q. Guerrero said.
He added that the commonwealth should immediately fund the training of DPW officials to pass the required ICC examination for certification.
No one at the DPW’s Building Safety Code Division has been certified under the ICC.
In 1990, the Building Safety Code Act was enacted for the purpose of securing the safety, health and general welfare of the people on CNMI by providing standards for the location, design, material construction, enlargement, maintenance, use, occupancy and moving of buildings and structure in the commonwealth.
The law requires applications of permit with the Building Safety office before undertaking construction, removing and demolishing of buildings, either public or private.
According to the law, a Building Safety official must be a registered architect or engineer or a building official certified by the International Council of Building Officials, which is now known as the International Code Council.
The council can will send a trainer to CNMI to teach the International Building Code and eventually certify the CNMI government building officials and other design and construction professionals.
