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Building and Fire Codes Training

ICC January Update: The ICC provided update offers an overview of pertinent ICC topics and issues that may be of importance to ICC members. This periodic update will provide ICC members with a list of brief abstracts that can be quickly consumed. Web links are provided should you desire more thorough information.

Update overview >> PDF

Important: ICC Certification Testing Changes In 2012, the ICC Certification and Testing department will make a number of exciting changes to their computer-based exam registration process and the exams themselves. These changes will create a more user-friendly testing experience for the candidates and an updated look to the exams. To read more about the changes and how they may impact the registration and testing process, visit http://www.iccsafe.org/Accreditation/Pages/2012Changes.aspx

For Information on the Code Change Training courses needed for each discipline please refer to the following:

2009 Code Change Matrix

Knowledge Center Information

Announcement: Certification Exam Update
ICC - Effective immediately ICC exams, administered by Pearson VUE, are based on the 2009 I-Codes. Refer to the ICC Candidate Bulletin for specific allowable exam resource materials and additional exam information.

ICC will continue to offer exams based on the 2006 International Codes through 2010. These 2006 code-based exams will be available via paper-and-pencil testing only. Visit www.iccsafe.org/inspector for more details.

NCPCCI - Effective March 15, 2010 all NCPCCI exams, administered by Prometric, will be based on the 2009 I-Codes. Please refer to the NCPCCI Candidate Bulletin for additional information.

2009 Virginia Code Series Published
The 2009 Virginia Code series, published by the International Code Council (ICC), will be available for purchase through the ICC website store in March 2011. Pre-orders for the individual code books and/or the complete code sets are presently being accepted online; email notification may be requested when the various codes become available. As an introductory offer, a special discount of 10% will be applied to early purchases before March 31 with the promotional code 2009VA at the webpage http://media.iccsafe.org/store/2009VA/.

In addition, the electronic version of the Virginia Codes will be available for purchase and download at the ICC website store beginning this week; the electronic version will also be available for view at the ICC Free Resource webpage at no charge to the user; the e-Codes will be posted in the order in which they are finalized by ICC.

The 2009 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and the Related Regulations may also be accessed at the following DHCD website links: DHCD forms or http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/StateBuildingCodesandRegulations/default.htm.

The 2009 Virginia Codes shall be effective as of March 01, 2011; however, the current 2006 code edition of the Virginia Construction Code in effect immediately prior may be utilized for a period of one year after such effective date.

The Training and Certification Office (TCO) within the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Division of Building and Fire Regulation provides training, certification and accreditation for code enforcement personnel throughout the Commonwealth.

Training:
Training, mandated by the Virginia Certification Standards, is provided through DHCD’s Virginia Building Code Academy (VBCA). VBCA training courses are targeted for personnel who are required to obtain certification in order to enforce the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), and Virginia Amusement Device Regulations (VADR).

VBCA courses run in multi-day formats and are held at locations throughout the Commonwealth to ensure thorough and convenient training opportunities for the state’s code enforcement personnel.
A complete course listing and descriptions can be found by visiting the online system .

Examples of offerings include:

Core
Advanced Official
Property Maintenance
Plan Review
Mechanical Inspection
Electrical Inspection
Plumbing Inspection
Building Inspection, and
Amusement Device Inspection

Certification:
Certifications required to enforce the building and fire codes are issued by DHCD as mandated by the Virginia Certification Standards. All candidates for certification must demonstrate successful completion of all course and exam requirements as defined by the Virginia Certification Standards. A complete listing of certification titles and related requirements can be found on the Training and Certification Matrix.
Certifications are issued in the areas of:

Virginia Certified Officials
Building Inspector
Fire Inspector
Plans Examiner
Elevator Inspector
Amusement Device Inspector

Additional Information:
Eligibility for participation in the DHCD administered training and certification programs is unrestricted. However, preference for enrollment is given to those persons from local jurisdictions that require the training for certification for their jobs.
In some cases applicants from the private sector and from jurisdictions not participating in the levy program will be invoiced for the full costs of the training program which currently ranges from $125 for a one day training program to $850 for a four day training program.