IAS Newsletter December 2023 - Magazine - Page 5
IAS N E W S L E T T E R December 2023
Building Department Accreditation and
Recognition Programs
Building departments across the U.S. and Canada have
shown an increased interest in both the Building Department
Accreditation Program and the Building Department
Recognition Program. Notable among the newly accredited
building departments are the City of Palm Bay, Florida
Building Department; City of Tamarac, Florida Building
Department; Elk Grove Village, Illinois Building & Property
Maintenance Division; Lexington-Fayette Urban County
Government, Kentucky Code Enforcement Division; and Village
of Wellington, Florida Building Department. Additionally,
the Village of Arlington Heights, Illinois Building & Life
Safety Department achieved recognition under the Building
Department Recognition Program. In addition to these
achievements, IAS actively participated in several ICC Chapter
Annual Meetings and educational events.
FEMA Program Funds Building
Department Accreditation
Management Systems and Information
Technology Security
In 昀椀scal year 2023 (FY 2023), FEMA's Building Resilient
Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program is
allocating an unprecedented $137 million in dedicated funds
for code activities (Codes Plus Up). The Codes Plus Up will
provide $2 million per state and territory and $25 million for
tribal governments, aimed to bolster the adoption, updating,
implementation, and enforcement of hazard-resistant codes.
These funds can be used to support building departments
seeking accreditation from IAS. Learn more here.
IAS’s Management Systems Certi昀椀cation Body Accreditation
Program remains dedicated to meeting industry needs.
Notably, there has been an increased emphasis this year on
Information Technology/Information Technology Security
sectors. Considering the pervasive in昀氀uence of information
technology in our daily lives, certi昀椀cation and accreditation in
these domains have become increasingly important.
Accredited Field Evaluation Body
Customers Expand Scopes
IAS has received feedback from Accredited Field Evaluation
Body (FEB) customers indicating an increasing interest
from Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) in seeking
FEB accreditation, particularly concerning the expansion of
semiconductor factories in the USA with custom equipment.
Prospective clients seeking auxiliary electrical services may
also be eligible for inspection agency accreditation.
IAS offers accreditation for 昀椀eld evaluation bodies according
to the requirements outlined in the IAS Accreditation Criteria
for Field Evaluation of Unlisted Electrical Equipment (AC354),
ISO/IEC 17020 and NFPA Standards. IAS-accredited FEBs are
quali昀椀ed to evaluate unlisted electrical equipment in the 昀椀eld,
and the IAS FEB Accreditation assists the Authority Having
Jurisdiction (AHJ) to evaluate and approve unlisted electrical
equipment in the 昀椀eld.
www.iasonline.org
One signi昀椀cant standard in focus is ISO/IEC 27701, designed
to assist organizations in safeguarding the private information
often requested in our daily interactions. For instance, when
we are asked for our email address to receive a free newsletter,
how do we know that information is kept private as promised
in the 昀椀ne print? An organization with an ISO/IEC 27701
Management System (MS) should be able to demonstrate that
adherence. Click here for more.
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