Fall/Winter 2006 - Building Officials' Association of BC

BUILDING OFFICIALS’
ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
NEWS & REPORTS
Fall/Winter 2006

New British Columbia
Code Education Seminars
Educational seminars on the new BC Codes will be
available for all those in the building industry starting in
early 2007.
The BOABC, along with the BC Building Policy Branch,
the Plumbing Officials’ (POABC), the Professional
Engineers & Geoscientists (APEGBC), the Architectural
Institute (AIBC), the Fire Protection Officers (FPOABC),
the Fire Chiefs (FCABC) the Science Technologists
& Technicians (ASTTBC) and code consultants are
in the process of developing new codes education
seminar materials.
Two-day seminars will follow in Vancouver,
Abbotsford, Nanaimo, Victoria, Cranbrook, Nelson,
Kelowna, Kamloops, Terrace and Prince George.
Illustrated guides will be provided to all participants. The
finalization of locations, times and fees will be
announced in the Fall of 2006 and on the BOABC web
site, www.boabc.org.

Contents
DEPARTMENTS
Editors Report
4
Standing & Industry Commitees
5
President’s Report
6
Certification Committee Report
6
Certification Issues and the
2006 BCBC Explained
8
Membership Services Report
10
FEATURES
Education Commitee Report
Executive Director Report
11
12
2006 BOABC Education Seminar
Workshops and Schedule
14
Zone Reports
The Graduate
12
24
New Code Change
Seminar Education for
Building Professionals
16
New BOABC Members
Spring 2005–Fall 2006
17
Who are Fire
Protection Engineers?
20
Green building movement
looks up to the rooftops
22
Building Officials’ Association of British Columbia
News & Report
The Building Officials’ Association of British Columbia publishes the
BOABC News & Report two times per year. Reprints are available by
written permission.
Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted. They
are not necessarily those of the publisher, executive and/or the BOABC
as a whole.
Advertisements expressed in the News & Report are paid for and are
not necessarily endorsed by the publisher, executive and/or the
BOABC as a whole.
For more information on contributing articles contact: Richard Bushey at
richbushey@shaw.ca, or Peter Longhi at plonghi@city.coquitlam.bc.ca.
Cover Photo: Deer Lake
Courtesy Dan Mulligan, City of Burnaby
Design: CaJe Creative Group
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 3

Editor’s Report
BUILDING OFFICIALS’ ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS—2006/07
This issue of the News and Report covers the growth of
BOABC membership, certification issues, and education
activities related to the new BC Building, Plumbing and
Fire Codes.
Membership in the Association is growing. The BOABC
has about 650 members within eight membership
categories: Regular, Retired, Associate One, Two, and
Three. The Association also recognizes Honorary, Life,
and Student members. A list of over 100 “New BOABC
Members”, enrolled in 2005-06, is included in this issue
of the News and Report. There is also an article on the
career and activities of Bob Rush, a retired member and
Past President of the Association, in our regular column,
“ The Graduate”.
These and other current examination and certification
issues are explained in detail in the News and Report
“Certification Committee Report” and in the article,
“Certification Issues and the 2006 BCBC”.
Continuing education is a large part of the BOABC
mandate. In this issue, we have included a two-page
“November BOABC Education Seminar Schedule”.
This year over fifteen workshops cover a wide range
of topics highlighting new codes, standards, and
regulations that will impact British Columbia. A new
course, entitled, “Increasing the Credibility of the Code
Official”, is also being offered at the Seminar and
delivered with the assistance of the International Code
Council – the BOABC is a chapter of the ICC.
In addition, the News and Report contains an update
on the “New Code Change Seminars” that are planned
for delivery across the province in early 2007. These twoday
seminars will give in depth information on the new
BC codes and provide participants with a manual of the
code changes.
We have a new feature in this issue of the News &
Report, “Standing & Industry Committees”, which
recognizes volunteers who are currently serving on
organizational, provincial, national and international
committees. These members provide valuable expertise
to the association, industry and government. Recently,
one of these volunteers, Dave Jackson, P.Eng, was
awarded the APEGBC ‘President's Award for
Professional Service’ at the 2007 APEGBC Conference &
AGM. He is the Registrar of the BOABC and the Chief
Building Official for the City of Vancouver.
Congratulations Dave!
Back issues of the News and Report can be found at
www.boabc.org and correspondence can be sent to the
Editor, Richard Bushey at richbushey@shaw.ca.
Thank you.
President:
Rick Hodgson
Cariboo Regional District
Suite D–180 North Third Ave.
Williams Lake, BC V2G 2A4
P: 250.392.3351 F: 250.392.2812
E: rhodgson@cariboord.bc.ca
Past President:
George Humphrey
City of Burnaby
4949 Canada Way,
Burnaby, BC V5G 1M2
P: 604.294.7158 F: 604.294.7986
E: George.humphrey@burnaby.ca
Vice President - Certification
Eddie Ho
University of British Columbia
2210 West Mall,
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
P: 604.822.0474 F: 604.822.2632
E: eddie.ho@ubc.ca
Vice President –
Membership Services
Peter Longhi
City of Coquitlam
3000 Guildford Way,
Coquitlam, BC V3B 7N2
P: 604-927-3452 F: 604-927-3445
E: plonghi@city.coquitlam.bc.ca
Vice President – Education
Paddy J. Moore
Thompson Nicola
Regional District
300-465 Victoria St.
Kamloops, BC V2C 4J2
P: 1.877.377.8673 F: 250.372.5048
E: pmoore@tnrd.bc.ca
North West Zone Director Vacant
Central & North Interior (Cariboo)
Zone Director
Ernie Maleniza
City of Prince George
1100 Patricia Boulevard
Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
P: 250.561.7621 F: 250.561.7721
E: emaleniza@city.pg.bc.ca
Kootenay Zone Director
Dan McNeill
East Kootenay Regional District
19-24th Avenue S.
Cranbrook BC V1C 3H8
P: 250.489.2791 F: 250.489.1287
E: dmcneill@rdek.bc.ca
South Central Interior
(Okanagan) Zone
Bruce Barclay
City of Kamloops
105 Seymour Street
Kamloops BC V2C 2C6
P: 250.828.3381 F: 250.828.7848
E: bbarclay@kamloops.ca
Vancouver Island
North Zone Director
Herman Koolman
Regional District of Nanaimo
6300 Hammond Bay Road
Nanaimo BC V9T 6N2
P: 250.390.6535 F. 250.390.4163
E: hkoolman@rdn.bc.ca
Vancouver Island
South Zone Director
Eric Law
Town of View Royal
45 View Royal Ave.
Victoria BC V9B 1A6
P: 250.708.2256 F: 250.727.9551
E: elaw@town.viewroyal.bc.ca
Lower Mainland Zone Directors
Dave Jackson
City of Vancouver
453 West 12th Ave.
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1V4
P: 604.873.7904 F: 604.873.7100
E: dave.jackson@vancouver.ca
Alfonso Turra
City of Abbotsford
32315 South Fraser Way
Abbotsford BC V2T 1W7
P: 604.864.5589 F: 604.853.5373
E: aturra@abbotsford.ca
Beverly Endersby
District of Mission
Box 20–8645 Stave Lake Street
Mission, BC V2V 4L9
P: 604.820.3732 F: 604.826.7951
E: bendersby@mission.ca
Building Officials’ Association
of British Columbia
Head Office: Suite #85 – 10551
Shellbridge Way
Richmond BC V6X 2W9
www.boabc.org
Shannon McAvella
Office Administrator
P: 604.270.9516 F: 604-270-9116
E: boabc@civicnet.bc.ca
Richard Bushey
Executive Director
P: 604.244.0368 F: 604.233.0464
E: richbushey@shaw.ca
Frankie Victor
Board Secretary
P: 604.689.4449 F: 604.689.4419
E: fv@ghl.ca
Robert J. Light
Treasurer
P: 604.277.4760
Peter Sweeney
Exams Coordinator
E: sweeneyp@telus.net
Dave Jackson
Registrar
P: 604-873-7904
E: dave.jackson@vancouver.ca
Michael Barclay
Historian
P: 604.591.4135 F: 604.591.2680
E: mbarclay@city.surrey.bc.ca
Daniel Mulligan
Webmaster
P: 604.294.7159 F: 604.294.7986
E: mulligan@burnaby.ca
4
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Standing & Industry
Commitees - 2006-07
BOABC ACT, BYLAWS &
TITLE REGISTRATION COMMITTEE
Chair: George Humphrey (Past President)
BOABC ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Chair: President or Designate – Executive Director,
Treasurer & Directors
AIBC REGULATORY COORDINATION COMMITTEE
Member: George Humphrey
ALLIANCE CANADIAN BUILDING
OFFICIALS’ ASSOCIATION (ACBOA)
Member: Rick Hodgson (President)
Alternates: G. Humphrey, R. Bushey
BC BUILDING CODE CHANGE REVIEW COMMITTEE
Members: Roy Thomassen, Doug Stanbrook
BC BUILDING CODE INTERPRETATION COMMITTEE
Members: Ernie Nishi (Secretary) Bob Light,
Patrick Shek
BUILDING POLICY BRANCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Member: Toby Seward
BUILDING POLICY BRANCH WORKING GROUPS
Members:
Gavin Woo – Fire Suppression Sprinklers
Pieter Den Uyl – Adaptable Housing
Peter Longhi – Alternative Solutions
Jim Weber – Letters of Assurance–Phase Two
Rick Hodgson/George Humphrey - Code Compliance
Eddie Ho – Regulatory Framework for
Existing Buildings.
BOABC BUILDING RESEARCH COMMITTEE
Member: George Humphrey
BOABC CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Members: Eddie Ho, Vice President (Chair)
Bob Light, George Humphrey, Doug Stanbrook,
Patrick Shek and Peter Sweeney (Codes Examiner)
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Members: Patrick Shek, Eddie Ho, and Soren Agren
NEW CODE CHANGE SEMINARS
STEERING COMMITTEE
Chair: George Humphrey, Sect. Richard Bushey,
BOABC Working Group: Doug Stanbrook, Patrick Shek,
and Frankie Victor
BOABC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE
Chair: To be appointed as required based on nature
of complaint.
BOABC DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE
Chair: To be appointed as required based on nature
of complaint.
BOABC EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Members: Paddy Moore, Vice President (Chair)
BOABC EDUCATION STRATEGY/COURSE
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Members: Nigel Beattie (Chair) Richard Bushey,
Rick Hodgson, George Humphrey, Eddie Ho, Paddy Moore
HOMEOWNER PROTECTION OFFICE PROVINCIAL
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Member: Peter Longhi, Alternate - Richard Bushey
ICC EVALUATION SERVICES –
GOVERNANCE ADHOC COMMITTEE
Member: Eddie Ho
BOABC MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COMMITTEE
Members: Peter Longhi, Vice President (Chair)
Dan Mulligan (webmaster) and
News & Report Editor – Richard Bushey
BOABC NOMINATION COMMITTEE
Chair: Past President, George Humphrey
BOABC STANDING COMMITTEE CONFERENCE
& AGM ORGANIZATION
Members: Eddie Ho (Chair)
Annual Host Committee 2007 Co-Chairs: Manjit Sohi
(City of Abbotsford), Beverly Endersby (District of
Mission) and Pieter Den UYL (District of Maple Ridge).
WOOD PRODUCTS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
Members: Greg Clarke, Barry Chickloski
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 5

President’s Report
This will be my first report since being elected as
President of the BOABC last April. Many issues have
come up since that time, but I will try to highlight the
most important ones. First, I have to acknowledge
the assistance I am receiving from our Past
President, George Humphrey; our Executive Director,
Richard Bushey; and Shannon McAvella, our Office
Administrator. They have all been quick to assist
whenever I ask (and I ask a lot).
I would like to thank the out-going members of the
Executive: Nigel Beattie, Richard Bergey and Paul
Thorkelsson, who contributed their time to the
Association. I would also like to extend a warm
welcome to the new Executive committee members:
Herman Koolman, Bruce Barclay; Eric Law; Ernie
Maleniza and Alfonso Turra. I know they will enjoy the
challenges and rewards of being a member of
this Executive.
While acknowledging hard work, I also have to
mention a few of our committees that have been putting
in extra time this year: the Code Change Steering
Committee (George Humphrey, Chair); the Certification
Committee (Eddie Ho, Vice-President); and the
Education Committee (Paddy Moore, Vice-President).
Due to the initiatives we are undertaking, there has been
no rest for members of these committees. Please read
the committee reports in the News & Report for details
on work being done.
The remainder of 2006 and 2007 will hold many
challenges for the BOABC. The work in front of us
is daunting. Some of the major issues we are
facing include:
• The effects of the adoption of the 2006 Objectivebased
BC Building Code, including updating our education
and certification programs to reflect changes;
• Developing and implementing a new Certification
Maintenance Plan as endorsed by members at the
2006 AGM;
• Monitoring the BC government’s “Modernization
Project” and providing representation on the various
working groups; and
• Moving ahead with the goals specified in our
Corporate and Business Plan.
All this activity is in addition to carrying out the day-today
operations of the Association and planning for and
hosting the Fall Education Conference and the Annual
Spring Conference and AGM. However, I have no doubt
that our Executive and dedicated volunteers will get the
job done.
Please take the time to review the BOABC Corporate
and Business Plan, posted on the “members only” section
of our website (If you cannot access this section,
please contact Shannon at the BOABC office for the
access code). This document has been in existence since
1996 and revised six times. It is the guiding document
for our Association. It outlines our corporate structure,
our goals and targets. This is a “living” document
and input from our members is invaluable. Please
feel free to contact any member of the Executive
with comments.
Rick Hodgson, RBO
President BOABC
Certification Committee Report
Spring 2006 Certification Exam
Sitting Results
The Certification Committee has processed the following
certification examinations from the Spring 2006
examination session (see box right):
The overall results for Level 1 and 2 exams processed
by the International Code Council (ICC) reflected a
wide spectrum of qualifications and job experiences
of candidates. (continued next page)
Level 1:
Level 2:
Level 3:
62 exams written
(22 members and 40 from BCIT)
43 passed (69.4%)
(20 members and 23 from BCIT)
34 exams written (all members)
10 passed (approx.30%)
87 exam papers written
(Papers 1 to 10 inclusive)
70 passed (approx.80%)
6
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Certification Committee Report
(cont’d)
There were a number of candidates who challenged
the Level Two exam for the first time and passed with
high scores. We also had a candidate who wrote the
Level Two exam for the sixth time, but failed. We had
new members that passed the exam and old-timers that
failed. Candidates who wrote Papers 8, 9 and 10 for their
Level 3 exams, all passed.
The Certification Committee noted that some
members appear to have a misconception on the results
for Levels 1 and 2 examinations, which are currently
based on a “Scaled Score” system and not on a
“Percentage Score”. Hence, the Committee will
endeavor to review the BOABC Policy that represents a
passing percentage and change the language to reflect
consistency. In addition, the Committee is considering
explaining the application of “Scaled Scores” in the
next issue of BOABC News & Reports.
The Committee also decided to provide information
for the BOABC membership on the web site and
newsletter on updates and logistics on all Level of
exams, in particular on rewrites and re-certification
exams on the new building code. Peter Sweeney has
provided this information in a following article in this
issue of the News & Report.
BOABC Education Conference in Richmond, due to the
planned introduction of the new BCBC.
Because of the advance scheduling of exams, we also
accepted applications for rewrites from candidates
who had failed in the spring 2006 exams. It is further
recommended that the next exams, based on the new
codes, be in the fall of 2007 at the earliest. Members will
have three years to do the update/re-certification
exams, if required. Doug Hatch of the International Code
Council will be meeting with the Committee in
November 06 and Spring 07 to keep examination
development work going forward.
Professional Development
Learning Credits –
2006 Code Change Seminars
Subject to the availability of information on the
extent of code revisions and a review of the content
of the Code Change Seminars, the Certification
Committee will be making recommendations to the
BOABC Executive regarding Professional Development
Learning Credits vs. writing update papers. A report on
the “Professional Development Program” was presented
to the members who attended the 2006 AGM &
Education Conference in Prince George and was
well received.
2006 BOABC Education Seminar –
Richmond, BC
2006 Fall Exam Sitting and
Future Schedule of Exams
The fall BOABC exam sittings in October 2006, to be
held across the Province, will be the last exams on the
1998 BC Building Code. The examinations were held
during the 2-week period commencing October 10,
2006. Due to the workload of staff, the deadline for
registration for all exams was September 15, 2006. No
examination sitting was planned for the usual fall
The 2006 Education Seminar will be held from
November 23 to 25, 2006 at the Vancouver Airport
Marriott in Richmond. The delay in code availability and
the workload of volunteers has resulted in a change to
the planning for the Fall Education Seminar. We will
concentrate on an overall review of the significant
changes to the codes. We will also include seminar
information on standards, regulations and other new
code related topics to give participants an overall view
of changes, which will be forthcoming.
Comprehensive seminars on the details of the new
code changes will be presented across the Province in
early 2007 in a two-day format with the architecture,
design, engineering, plumbing, fire and building
officials’ associations participating.
Eddie Ho, RBO
Certification Committee Vice -President
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 7

Certification Issues and the
2006 BCBC Explained
On December 15, 2006 the 2006 BC Building Code
becomes effective throughout the Province. This has
caused members to raise questions regarding their status
with respect to BOABC Certification. The Executive
has been asked questions, such as the following:
• How does this affect Members who are eligible to use
the title RBO or BCQ?
• How does this affect Members who have not completed
all 10 exams of Level 3?
• How does this affect Members who have passed the
Level 1or Level 2 exam?
• What do I need to do to recertify?
• When will the new exams be available?
• How is the change in format for Level 3, from 10
exams to 5 exams, affecting members who have not
completed all 10, Level 3 exams?
• How do I recertify, if I have not completed all 10 exams
in Level 3 and the format changes to 5 exams?
The Certification Committee met on September 14,
2006 to discuss these and other questions. At that
meeting, the Committee was also informed of the status
of the educational materials being developed by the
Code Change Seminar working groups. For a number of
reasons, including the lack of copies of the 2006
BCBC being available to the volunteer groups until
mid-September, the development has progressed
slower than anticipated. As a result, the Certification
Committee concluded that it did not have sufficient
information regarding the number and complexity of
the code changes, in order to determine if BOABC
members must write update exams to retain their Level
of Certification, or to just attend the Code Change
Seminars, scheduled for early 2007.
The Certification Committee will be meeting to review
the content and format of the Code Change Seminar
material, prior to the January 2007 Executive
Committee Meeting. The membership will be advised of
the decisions made at that time.
The Committee then dealt with other issues concerning
examination and certification procedures, immediately
following implementation of the new 2006 B.C.
Building Code.
Members, who have attained RBO or BCQ status, must
complete update examinations within the period of time
set by the Executive Committee, commencing after any
date that the update exam is made available. If the
decision is made to allow Members to retain their
respective Level of Certification by attending a two-day
Code Change Seminar, then such members will retain
their status without any exam, if they attend one of
these Seminars, which will be delivered in various
communities across BC in 2007.
Members who have not completed all 10 exams for
Level 3 must complete all 10 exams and may need to
write update exams for those exams already passed.
For example, if a member, who has passed exams #1, 3,
4, 5, 7 and failed exam #2, that member must write
exams #6, 8, 9, 10, and rewrite exam #2 on the 2006
BCBC. These exams may be available in the fall of 2007.
Again, if the decision is made to allow members to
retain their respective Level of Certification by attending
the Code Change Seminars, the member, in the
example, would not need to write update exams #1, 3,
4, 5, and 7, if that member attended one of the Code
Change Seminars.
Members, who have passed Level 1 or Level 2 exams
will only need to write full examinations on those
Levels, not attained, and update examinations on the
levels attained. Again, if the decision were made to
allow members to retain their respective Level of
Certification by attending the Code Change Seminars,
those members who had attained Level 1 or Level 2
status would not need to write update exams for
Level I or Level 2, if they attend one of the Code
Change Seminars.
If the decision is made to require update exams,
members who have passed Level 1 or Level 2 must
write and pass the update papers for their respective
Level of Certification before they are permitted to
continue to write exams for the next level.
Past practice to re-certify has been to write update
exams for the Certification Levels that a member has
previously passed. However, there has been discussion
to not require the writing of update exams, if a member
attends one of the upcoming Code Change Seminars.
New exams and any update exams on the new BCBC
will not be available until fall of 2007. This will allow the
Certification Committee time to review and update all
examination questions and answers to the 2006 BCBC.
The BOABC Certification Committee develops exam
questions and answers with the assistance of ICC
consultants. Questions for Level One and Two exams
are generated from a computerized bank set-up for each
level. The exams are open book.
The Level 3 BOABC Certification can only be achieved
by writing and passing 10 exams. The Certification
8
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Certification Issues and the
2006 BCBC Explained (cont’d)
Committee, with the endorsement of the membership,
is working to reduce the number of exams from 10 to 5.
This project is underway, but will require more time to
complete. The Committee’s immediate priorities are to
1) update all 10 exams for Level 3 to the 2006 BCBC, 2)
to update the Level 1 and Level 2 exams to the 2006
BCBC and 3) to prepare update or recertification exams,
if required, for those members who do not attend a
Code Change Seminar. Completion of the development
of a Level 3, 5-exam format, is a secondary priority. The
questions created for both the update exams and in
updating the questions and answers for the 10-exam
format will be developed in such a way that they will be
suitable for use in the 5-exam format.
Members who start their Level 3 Certification using the
10-exam format (the only format available at present) will
be allowed to continue using this format. It is not the
intention of the Certification Committee to confuse members
with two different exam formats, but to have
Members complete their Level 3 Certification using the
format of exams that was available when they started.
Peter Sweeney, Exams Coordinator
BOABC Certification Committee
9

Membership Services Report
It has been suggested to me that a digital library be set
up, accessible through the BOABC web site, which
would include a resource of construction pictures, both
good and bad, as related to code issues. These photos
would be useful in creating power point presentations
and could be used by members as they present to
various groups.
Some photos have been collected with steps taken to
avoid any reference to addresses or individuals being
identified in the photos. The News and Report has
already presented a couple of photos under the “What's
Wrong With This Picture?” heading. The intention of the
photos is to example specific details for reference and
discussion, rather than involve the whole building, which
could extend to some liability that we want to avoid.
“The Store” on the web site, www.boabc.org, is looking
a little dated. We have a series of new items in stock that
are available for ordering. They need to be photographed
and posted on the site in advance of the upcoming
BOABC April 2007 AGM in Harrison Hot Springs.
I look forward to any upgrade suggestions for the
Website. We are improving it on the fly with new
information. The “What’s New” section is growing every
month, as well as postings for building official positions.
Much work is needed, however, behind the scenes, to
update text and keep things current. So if you see a page
with nothing on it, it is likely under re-construction.
Our local BC, semi-retired twice, correspondent Bob
Buckland, has a special feature on yet another retired
member in this issue of the News and Report under the
heading “The Graduate”. We continue to expand the
News & Report content in each issue. Look for the list of
new members for 2005-2006.
The BOABC brochure, explaining who we are and
what we do, has been revised and reviewed at the
September 2006 BOABC Executive Meeting. It will be
reprinted shortly. We are out of stock on the BOABC
regular pins and an order will be placed to satisfy the
upcoming AGM/Conference, as well as serving as a
promotional item for members.
I would like to poll the membership for any nomination
for awards in either of two categories—The Casey
Van Den Broek Award and the Jim Robison Award. As
members may be aware, these service awards are not
necessarily presented every year; however, it is time to
think about possible candidates for these two honors to
be presented at the AGM in Harrison Hot Springs.
Nominations must be presented in writing to the
Executive, thru your Membership Services Chair, for the
Executive meeting in January 2007, so that arrangements
can be made for the awards details. We have one
nomination so far, in writing that missed the deadline
last time and will be brought to the Committee for the
Harrison Hot Springs venue. Nominations must be
presented two months prior to the AGM in order for a
committee to be struck and for nominations to be
reviewed in sufficient time.
The HPO—Raising the Bar Project met in late
September with Minutes of the meeting forwarded to
members of the Executive at that time.
The BOABC Certification and Membership Committees
are trying to hammer out a suitable certificate of
recognition or accomplishment for those individuals
who have written the BOABC exams and have passed,
but cannot qualify as regular members for a number of
reasons. We will be considering the possible expanded
use of the RBI, Registered Building Inspector, as a title.
The BOABC has a registered patent for the title, which
has been in existence for many years.
The Modernization Project, which the BC government is
promoting, is relevant to our members. The five main Task
Force groups, relating to building issues, are as follows:
data collection and performance measurement, risk and
liability, competency, consistent application of code and
consistent processes for compliance and enforcement.
Where we need to focus our energy is in the areas of
competency and consistent code application. To this
end, the BOABC Education and Certification Committees
have to step up to the bar to set standards, for not only
our own membership, but for those of the design
community as well. The BC Building Policy Branch will
be forwarding recommendations, generated out of
these five task force groups and respective sub groups,
to the Minister responsible for implementation in 2008.
In the mean time, we need to think about where our
own careers are going and where we expect to be when
the Modernization Project recommendations are
brought into force; moreover, will we be prepared for
what may happen when it does?
Many thanks to those volunteers that are involved in
the working groups and are grappling with these
concepts to improve the structure, look and function of
the building regulatory and safety systems for the
coming decade in British Columbia. Information on the
Modernization Strategy can be found at the web site
www.housing.gov.bc.ca/modernization. We can only
trust that we are headed in the right direction. I
would like to thank all the members for their continued
volunteerism.
Peter Longhi, RBO
Membership Services Vice-President
10
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Education Committee Report
The next couple of years are going to be very interesting
and hectic especially with the implementation of the
2006 BC Building Code.
The Building Officials’ Association of BC is a professional
organization and we must maintain our image by
providing educational seminars and workshops for all
our members. Therefore, it is vital that the membership
voices their opinion on the content of education and
training they wish to receive from the association.
The Education Committee will be reviewing all
current educational material starting with Level II, to
ensure the material falls within the scope of the new
building code. Once the material has been updated, we
will be looking at a study session schedule for each
zone, which would be similar to exam sittings. Having
a set schedule a year in advance will not only be
beneficial to the members, but it will also show our
cooperation with Building Managers that have to
schedule for staff absence and allot for training
expenses in their budget.
Another method of providing educational training that
we will be reviewing is on-line development. This has
been discussed at previous Executive meetings and the
cost of the program and liability has been a concern. A
BOABC member that has experience in this field and
would be willing to create courses for a nominal fee has
approached us.
The Education Committee will be working in conjunction
with the Certification Committee towards creating a
Certification Maintenance Program. On this note, I
would like to remind all members to attend the annual
Fall Education Seminar at the Vancouver Marriott Hotel
from November 23-25, 2006.
Paddy J. Moore, R.B.O.
Education Committee Vice-President
What’s Wrong with this photo?
The inspector at a drain tile and dampproof inspection somewhere in
Coquitlam last year noted this:
1) WCB would have issues over the ladder support and
placement on a boulder for getting in and out of
the hole.
2) Coverage on foundation drain tile is restricted to fine
granular fill at least 6" deep. Coverage is missing
entirely at the sump inlet.
3) Backfilling of foundations is restricted to clean fill
with boulders not exceeding 250 mm and no closer
than 600 mm from the foundation—see 9.12.3.3.1.
4) The water service must also be bedded in fine
granular material free of course angular cobbles that
can kink or cause the water line to leak or break.
5) Of course the boulders must be removed to properly
inspect the damproofing and drain rock. Damage to
the tile and or the foundation wall itself may require
the field services of the Structural Engineer of record.
6) Hopefully no one is buried there either.
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 11

Executive Director Report
BOABC membership has grown by over 130 new regular
and associate members in the last year and a half. The
Association has almost 650 members, as of November
2006. The significant increase in membership is a direct
outcome of extraordinary demographic and economic
factors, which are in play.
Because of the unusual North American ‘baby-boom
retiree’ phenomena now underway, a significant
number of older and experienced building officials and
managers are retiring from the work force. There is every
indication that this process will continue to accelerate
and persist throughout the next five years.
In addition, the Province of British Columbia is
experiencing unanticipated economic growth lead by
development and construction activity. This growth is
forecast to continue across most regions for the
remainder of the decade. Consequently, an unusual
heavy demand on the workload of building officials and
code consultants is occurring.
As positions become available in building departments,
through retirements or expansion of services, it has
become difficult to locate and hire trained individuals to
become building officials. The traditional source of potential
employees, people active in the construction industry
and graduates of technical universities and colleges, has
diminished, because of the boom in construction.
Some retired BOABC members are available for part
time, casual “holiday replacement” and consulting work.
But their numbers are too few to make any significant
impact on the labour force requirements of the building
industry and to respond to building official shortages. As
a result, building department managers are compelled
to hire younger, eager, but less skilled individuals.
The influx of new and younger workers, to fill the
vacancies of retired persons and to fill new positions
associated with the expansion of services, has generated
greater interest and demand for more building code
educational workshops, seminars and exam sittings. The
BOABC levels of Certification have become the criteria
for testing skill levels and providing compensation to
building officials in most jurisdictions in BC – despite the
fact that certification is not a mandatory requirement for
practicing as a building official in British Columbia, as it
is in Ontario, for example.
Competition also occurs amongst employers, with
employees choosing those employers who provide
better wages and working conditions, advancement
opportunities and a work environment that supports
educational training. As a result, there has been an
increase in building officials moving from one employer
to another in search of more rewarding opportunities.
This is evident in the expansion of job opportunities
ZONE REPORTS
NORTH CENTRAL INTERIOR ZONE REPORT
The BOABC 51st AGM & Education Conference, held in Prince
George on April 23 – 26, 2006, went unexpectedly quite well. As
predicted by the Conference Committee, we were also blessed
with exceptionally warm and dry weather.
The Mayor and Council wish to thank the Association for selecting
Prince George to host the Conference. The Conference
Committee appreciates the support and confidence from the
Executive and staff. It was a hard work and extremely time
consuming to put up such an event, but the end result was satisfying
to everyone involved. Special thanks to the guest speakers,
particularly those from out of the Province for participating.
The vast majority of the delegates that attended the workshops
provided positive feedback, ranging from average to fully satisfactory.
The following presentations received high marks from
the delegates:
• Mezzanines and Interconnected Floor Space by Bob Light.
• Fire Separation & Fire Resistance rating by Andrew Harmsworth.
• Engineered Wood Products Evaluation by Bruno Di Lenardo.
• Wood Trusses Video Presentation by Greg Clark & Fred Tai.
There were 17 Exhibitors at the trade show, 16 filled out the
comment sheet and provided us with a very encouraging feedback,
such as, “excellent booth layout,” “food not bad,” “very
friendly environment,” “passport – very good idea.” However, few
of the exhibitors expressed concern that cost of the booth was
high, as compared with other provincial associations. Many have
indicated that they will attend the 2007 BOABC AGM &
Conference in Harrison Hot Springs.
Our zone meeting was held on September 7, 2006 at the
boardroom of the FFG Regional District office. Members of the
Northwest zone were invited, but no one was able to attend. Two
concerns were discussed at the meeting: one is the transition
from 10-exam format to 5-exam format on Level Three. The other
concern is no review material or handouts for Level Three exams.
Ernie C. Maleniza, B. Arch., RBO
Director North Central Interior Zone
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BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Executive Director Report
advertised in the careers section of the www.boabc.org
web site over the last several years.
The Association relies heavily on the contribution of
volunteer members and the work of volunteer committees
to accomplish many tasks and responsibilities
(see page four of the News & Report). In the case of
BOABC certification and education services, Association
member volunteers and support staff have undertaken
most of the work to expand services.
Over the last five years, the Association has improved
career training and certification, achieving a number of
planned goals, including:
• The transforming of BOABC examinations to a
computerized system with the ICC;
• The development of new code courses based on
materials from Ontario & other sources;
• The creation of the BCQ title & the expansion of
Associate members within industry;
• The approval of a mandatory BOABC Maintenance
Professional development program;
• The putting in place of a BOABC computerized
membership information database and the pursuit of
a national building official certification program
through ACBOA.
Realizing the trends occurring in the BC economy and
the changing demographics of the membership, the
Executive of the BOABC struck a Task Force to identify
additional goals and targets for education, training and
certification, which could be achieved in the next fiveyear
plan. A Task Force Discussion Paper and survey of
the BOABC executive and building code instructors in
the Province was recently circulated and completed.
The consensus of the survey was that the BOABC
should continue to strive to be the principal provider of
code education in the Province and to work in concert
with other associations and educational institutes in that
effort. Respondents to the survey also emphasized that
the Association should expand and provide more code
training to members and others across the Province. To
address the education of new building officials (identified
as a top priority), courses on a building officials’ key
duties and responsibilities to the public were mentioned.
Technical courses on how to read the new code and to
understand liability & legal issues were also specified,
amongst others.
The Task Force Committee will be meeting at the
BOABC November 2006 Education Seminar in Richmond
to begin formulating a plan on how to respond to the
needs of the membership over the next five years.
Richard Bushey
Executive Director
NORTH VANCOUVER ISLAND ZONE REPORT
Paul Thorkelsson resigned as the North Island Zone Director,
effective September 26, 2006. Paul has accepted a new position
with the Regional District of Nanaimo as the General Manager of
Development Services. He wants to thank everyone for supporting
his tenure as Zone Rep. We wish him well at his new position.
At the September 26, 2006 Executive Meeting I was appointed as
the North Vancouver Island Zone Director for the remainder of Paul’s
term. Drew Taylor from Nanaimo has agreed to serve as my alternate.
The Regional District of Nanaimo hosted a two-day level-two
study session on September 19th and 20th. Charlie Hoeller
delivered the course. Charlie used the materials that he has developed
to instruct at BCIT. The course was professionally presented
and was well received by the members.
A number of attendees had unsuccessfully challenged the BOABC
Level-two exam and one of the questions raised - and the answer
given, may present a better understanding of what course delivery is
all about. Why doesn’t the course teach me what’s on the exam?
The intent of any BOABC course is not to show you what is on an
exam. The intent of the course is to teach you how to use the Code
and give an overall review of the Code, so answers can easily be
found for the questions given. Teaching how to use and read the
Code will assist you in answering any question whether it is on an
exam or in the office.
Another issue raised by those who had challenged the exam, is
the time allowed to write the level-two exam. This concern was
passed on and discussed at the Sept 26, 2006 BOABC Executive
Meeting. The Certification Committee has written an article on
certification and exam issues in this News & Report.
The difficulties in arranging this study session highlighted for
me, the need for the Association to move forward and employ a
full/ part time Education Coordinator that we can deal with these
issues. There is a need for a coordinator who can deliver the
courses, determine the material to be taught and respond to
Zone requirements.
Herman Koolman, RBO
North Vancouver Island Zone Director
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 13

2006 BOABC Education Seminar
Workshops and Schedule
November 23 - 25, 2006 • Airport Marriott Hotel • Richmond, BC
The Building Officials’ Association of B.C. is hosting a
three-day Education Seminar. The Seminar includes
workshops aimed at codes, building standards and regulations
relating to the introduction of the new BC
Building, Plumbing & Fire Codes. The sessions will be
beneficial to code officials, architects, designers, engineers,
builders and other professionals who wish to
have an overview of the changes in the new codes.
The program also includes an on-line demonstration
Thursday – November 23, 2006
Time Session A Session B
of the objective based codes by the Queens Printer
Publishing service - a display of the various codes in
print and CD versions will be available. The International
Code Council will also offer a course on Thursday, which
is limited to 30 persons, who must pre-register - seats
will be assigned on a ‘first-come’ basis. Seminar sessions
will be held with each time slot having a concurrent
session to choose from - two sessions on Thursday,
repeat on Saturday (see Workshops Schedule below).
8:30am - 12:00am Highlights of 2006 BC Building Code Increasing the Credibility of
Repeats on Saturday
the Code Official*
New Code Change Seminars Working Group Limited to 30 participants maximum
Pre-register is MANDATORY
Laura Scott- International Code Council
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch Lunch
1:00pm - 2:45pm Modernization Strategy Update Increasing the Credibility of
Building Policy Branch–Jeff Vasey
the Code Official* (cont’d)
Laura Scott (ICC)
3:00pm - 4:30pm Highlights of 2006 BC Plumbing Code
Repeats on Saturday
POABC
Friday – November 24, 2006
Time Session A Session B
8:30am - 10:00am Building Smart: Impact of the 2006 BC Building City of Vancouver 2006 Building Bylaw Changes
Code on Part 9 Residential Construction
Will Johnston/James Lau
Murray Frank (Sponsor HPO)
City of Vancouver
10:15am - 12:00am
Geotechnical Engineering
Analysis using the 2006 BCBC
Toby Seward – City of Nanaimo
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch Lunch
1:00pm - 2:45pm Highlights of 2006 BC Fire Code Overview of ULC Standards in 2006 Codes
Bob Furlong (FPOABC)
Jack Robertson (ULC)
3:00pm - 4:30pm New BC Energy Efficiency Regulations Overview of NFPA Standards updates
Andrew-Pape Salmon
2006 Building Code
Sean Tracey (NFPA)
14
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

Saturday – November 25, 2006
Time Session A Session B
8:30am - 10:00am Highlights of 2006 BC Building Code Using Objective Based Code
Repeat of Thursday Program
Building Policy Branch
New Code Change Seminars Working Group
10:15am - 12:00am
Demonstration of 2006 BCBC - Online Version
Queen’s Printer Publishing
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch Lunch
1:00pm - 2:45pm Highlights of 2006 BC Plumbing Code NFPS Standards for Hazardous Process
Repeat of Thursday Program
Sean Tracey (NFPA)
POABC
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Members’ Forum
Eddie Ho/Bob Light/Richard Bushey
Moderator: Peter Sweeney
* INCREASING THE CREDIBILITY OF THE CODE OFFICIAL –Thursday Course Offering
Description: Success as a code enforcement professional is dependent upon credibility. Credibility and trust are necessary for effective
relationships with the public. Every person with whom you interact takes credibility into consideration. This course addresses
weaknesses and strengths and develops an action plan that will enhance performance skills. Suitable for all levels of Building Officials.
Developed and presented by the International Code Council.
ZONE REPORTS (cont’d)
SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND ZONE REPORT
The South Vancouver Island Zones continues to hold regular
monthly meetings to discuss topics of interest concerning the BC
Building Code (July and August meetings were cancelled due to
summer holidays).
At the May monthly meeting, Richard Bushey came over to the
Island to discuss the motion that was passed at the Prince George
AGM regarding the Professional Development Program for
Registered Building Officials.
At the June meeting John MacGregor from Tec Agencies Inc.
gave the group a presentation on waterproofing/damproofing of
foundations and Slabs on Grade. John also briefly discussed
insulated concrete formwork and the requirements for backfilling
and damproofing this type of construction.
The September’s meeting had a full agenda, as there was a
presentation from David Clarabut from Worksafe BC and a presentation
from Fred Tai from Simpson Strong Tie. At September’s
meeting we also discussed the Level Two study session that took
place on September 19th and 20th. Special thanks to Herman
Koolman and Alexandra Engel from the Regional District of
Nanaimo for facilitating this study session and Charlie Hoeller
from the City of Surrey for instructing the level two study session.
September’s meeting also saw the swearing in of Uli Temmal and
I as we both received our RBO designation.
At all of our monthly meetings we continue to hold round table
discussion to bring up matters interest and concerns to all
Building Officials. All of our monthly meetings are well attended by
Building Official’s from the South Vancouver Island area and
appear to help promote consistency in the application of the BC
Building Code.
Eric Law, RBO
South Vancouver Island Zone Director
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 15

New Code Change Seminar
Education for Building Professionals
Volunteers from the architectural, design, engineering,
fire, plumbing and building officials’ associations have
been working with the BC Building Policy Branch to
develop comprehensive code education for building
industry professions in British Columbia.
An introduction to the structure and changes in the
2006 BC building, plumbing and fire codes and the City
of Vancouver Building Bylaw will be highlighted at the
annual Education Workshop of the Building Officials’
Association to be held November 23 to 25 in Richmond,
BC (see Program in News & Report). The Plumbing
Officials’ Association will also be having a discussion on
the highlights of the new BC Plumbing code at
their annual Education Conference in Richmond on
October 21st.
More thorough and wide-ranging Code Change
Seminars are being planned for delivery within jurisdictions
across British Columbia in early 2007, when it is
expected that code users will have had the opportunity
to better familiarize themselves with the new code
structure and content. These seminars will be offered in
two-day sessions for a registration fee expected to be in
the range of $275 for two days. All registrants will
receive a detailed guide covering the changes in the
2006 BC codes. This guide will include a table outlining
all changes, as well as diagrams and explanations for
the substantive changes.
The Code Change Seminar material is being developed
for delivery by code practioners and consulting
specialists who have undertaken a line-by-line review
and comparative analysis of the existing BC codes, the
proposed 2006 BC codes and the 2005 National codes.
Now that the 2006 BC Codes are available, the association
working groups will be able to complete their tasks.
The details, locations, schedules and times for the
provincial delivery of the two-day Code Change
Seminars, set for early 2007, are being planned and will
be announced at the November BOABC Education
Conference and on www.boabc.org.
For additional information on the Code Change
Seminars, please contact by email the Steering
Committee Chairman george.humphrey@burnaby.ca or
the BOABC Executive Director Richard Bushey at richbushey@shaw.ca.
Further information on the 2006 BC Building and Fire
Codes can be found at the Building Policy web site at
www.housing.gov.bc.ca/building/code/
16
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

New BOABC Members –
Spring 2005 to Fall 2006
First Name Last Name Organization Status
Daniel Golob District of Tumbler Ridge Associate #1
D. Scott Armour The Service Department Associate #2
Howard Berlin Lynn Berlin, Inspections & Consulting Associate #2
Asit K. Biswas Maple Building Design and Consulting Associate #2
Keith Calder Senez Reed Calder Fire Engineer Inc. Associate #2
Wayne Carachelo Cyan Drafting Associate #2
John Chace Lumar Management and Design Ltd. Associate #2
Chi-Ping Ted Chen BJY Northwest Associate #2
Frederic Denis Associate #2
Thomson Farquhar VANOC Associate #2
Dana Ferguson Regional District of Fraser-Fort George Associate #2
Mark Gartry Carpenters Union 452 Associate #2
Jagdeep Gill City of Abbotsford Associate #2
James Herd WCB Associate #2
John Inglis Creekside Architects Associate #2
Jason Jacob National Home Warranty Associate #2
John Kamp Associate #2
Douglas King Hilti Canada Corporation Associate #2
Russell Koolman Koolman and Son Carpentry Associate #2
Jonathan Newman AAA Inspections Ltd. (1993) Associate #2
David Oaks New Home Warranty Programs Associate #2
Craig Rickards Mammoth Masonry Associate #2
Jim Vautour Jim Vautour Architectural Design Associate #2
Christine Welsh C&G Holdings Associate #2
Leslie Barker Regional District of East Kootenay Associate #3
Calvin Wang District of North Vancouver Regular
Teresa Agnew Regional District of Sunshine Coast Regular
Taher Ahmad City of Kelowna Regular
Robert Baker Township of Langley Regular
Anthony Bastone Proform Construction Regular
Cheryl Blakey City of Surrey Regular
David Brink City of Whitehorse Regular
Joanne Carter City of Penticton Regular
Adrian Cashato City of Vancouver Regular
Mike Collister City of Vancouver Regular
Brian Comartin Regional District of Central Okanagan Regular
Todd Constantinescu City of Penticton Regular
Todd Conway Township of Langley Regular
Chris Cummings City of New Westminster Regular
Richard Diamond Village of Pemberton Regular
Mark Dobbs Regional District of Comox-Strathcona Regular
Cameron Duncan District of North Vancouver Regular
Jeffrey Dyck City of Vancouver Regular
Ronald Dyck City of Vancouver Regular
Mark Eshpeter Regional District of East Kootenay Regular
Sonya Forsyth City of Surrey Regular
Rick Fudge City of Fort St. John Regular
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 17

E
New BOABC Members –
Spring 2005 to Fall 2006
First Name Last Name Organization Status
18
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

New BOABC Members –
Spring 2005 to Fall 2006
First Name Last Name Organization Status
Lloyd Simpson City of Langley Regular
John Southam City of Nelson Regular
Jennifer Spinelli City of Port Moody Regular
Dennis Tait District of Houston Regular
James Thumm District of Sechelt Regular
Doug Vance City of Coquitlam Regular
Lee Voykin Regional District of Central Kootenay Regular
Ian Walker District of Lake Country Regular
Reginald Walters City of Salmon Arm Regular
Laura Walton Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Regular
Jane Whittleton District of Sechelt Regular
Rudy Wieler District of Hope Regular
Arnold Wiens Township of Langley Regular
Anton Wolf Regional District of East Kootenay Regular
Gary Yuen Tung Yeung City of Richmond Regular
Peter Zwicker City of Campbell River Regular
Pardeep Singh Brar Student
BUILDING OFFICIALS' ASSOCIATION OF BC
Building Code Qualified (B.C.Q.) Titles List
November 2006
NAME
MEMBER # MUNICIPALITY/FIRM DATE
Frankie Victor 1381 GHL Consultants 3/8/2005
Jim A. Wright 489 Eddy Management 4/26/2005
Gordon C. Pearson 1304 Town of Sidney 09/29/2005
Bill Johnson 1598 Enertech Consulting 11/07/2005
Dick F. Stubbs 1399 12/15/2005
Lee K. Lundgren 1528 A&T Project 02/17/2006
Robert S. Buckland 381 3/2/2006
Lynn Berlin 1539 L. Berlin Consulting 10/13/2006
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 19

Who Are Fire Protection Engineers?
The introduction of the Objective-based Codes in
Canada is intended to increase innovation and decrease
costs. This will be done through the submission of
alternative solutions by individuals that are expected to
be qualified design professionals. As many of the
submissions will be fire safety related, it is expected
that these will come from Fire Protection Engineers.
Like the other engineering disciplines there is no
predetermined process to qualify individuals in their
respective disciplines. The expectation is that the person
is qualified or experienced in the discipline prior to
submitting a design. As many municipalities do not
have the skills to assess the designs, they rely on the
professional expertise of others. It is only when there
20
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

are problems arising, that the submitter’s qualifications
may come into question. It is therefore worthwhile to
discuss the fire protection specialty discipline within the
engineering profession, so that you can better evaluate
the submissions.
Fire science, the foundation of the discipline, is a
rapidly evolving science. Practitioners are expected to
have knowledge of a number of areas including fire
dynamics, structural fire protection, fire modeling, and
human behavior in fire. The new Objective-based Codes
require an understanding of the complexities of many
disciplines and how they interplay to protect society.
NFPA 550: Guide to the Fire Safety Concepts Tree
provides a very good representation of how all these
components interplay. Much of this knowledge base is
still evolving with new research, improved quantitative
data on fires and better computational tools changing
our understanding on a regular basis. Individuals
should be able to present evidence that they have had
training or education these areas.
Unfortunately there is no program in Canadian universities
that grants degrees in fire protection engineering.
One exception is Carleton University in Ottawa which
has a masters and doctoral level program within their
Civil Engineering Department. This is still relatively new,
with expansions to the program being anticipated.
Current courses include Fire Dynamics, Fire Modeling,
People In Fires, and Fire Resistance. Individuals can take
specific courses by attendance or through video.
Some fire protection engineers attend fire protection
engineering programs in the US, such as the Worcester
Polytechnic Institute, or the University of Maryland. In
Canada, most practitioners will have been trained in
some other engineering discipline, take additional
courses and have related experience to qualify as fire
protection engineers.
The oversight of fire protection engineering falls
under the larger umbrella of the provincial/territorial
engineering professional bodies. Engineers are duty
bound to practice within the limits of their competence.
Individuals who misrepresent their knowledge can be
disciplined for incompetence. Discipline can range from
fines, to loss of license. If a building official or fire
inspector suspects that misconduct has occurred, then
he/she should draw their concerns to the attention of
the professional engineering body in their province
or territory.
Many fire protection engineers may also belong to
professional bodies, such as the Society of Fire
Protection Engineers (SFPE), NFPA, or the Institution of
Fire Engineers (IFE). Although anyone can join an SFPE
Chapter, a Professional Member of SFPE must be a
graduate of an accredited engineering program and
have a minimum of 3 years experience in responsible
charge of fire protection engineering work. This
designation would provide a means of identifying
competence in fire protection engineering.
IFE is a UK based organization that is growing internationally.
IFE involves an application, review, and examination
as a means to certifying a member. These would
be individuals identified with the MIFireE designation.
NFPA has an accredited certification program available
– Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS). This has
been growing in interest within Canada as this
represents another method of identifying an individual’s
knowledge of fire protection issues. It further requires
an individual to maintain certification by submitting
evidence of participation in ongoing education
sessions. This program is open to anyone who has
proven experience in the field. Seneca College has been
supporting this program for its fire protection
technology graduates as a means to distinguish
themselves in the field.
As an ‘authority having jurisdiction’, what should you
be looking for from individuals identifying themselves
as fire protection engineers? First, you should look to
the educational background of the individual. What
courses or programs specifically related to fire science
has the individual taken over and above their basic
engineering degree? Look for courses such as those
offered through Carleton University in disciplines such
as structural fire protection, fire dynamics, human
behaviour and fire modeling. Are the courses relevant
to the submission or work that is being presented for
your acceptance?
Secondly, has the professional have demonstrated
work experience in this particular field, such as would
be identified by the SFPE Professional Member designation?
Has the submitter other relevant designations,
such as MIFireE, or CFPS? If so, then the initial hurdle of
proving subject matter expertise has been jumped. If
you are confronted with an engineer that has submitted
designs that are flawed, then seek action through the
regulating professional body. This will help to keep
individuals trained and educated in their respective
disciplines.
Within the larger engineering community, fire protection
engineers are a specialty group that has accumulated
work experience and knowledge in fire science. Until
such time that programs in the universities can provide
a stream of fire protection engineers, you should look
at the individual’s work experience and knowledge
background for competency.
Sean Tracey, P.Eng. MIFireE
Canadian Regional Manager NFPA
Canadian professional Engineering Practice and Ethics,
Andrews, Gordon C., Saunders College, Canada 1992.
p. 134.
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 21

Green building movement
looks up to the rooftops
Green roofs – roofing systems that support vegetation
growth – are garnering interest as a cost-efficient, earthfriendly
alternative to traditional roofs. In British
Columbia, the B.C. Institute of Technology is producing
climate-specific data at its Green Roof Research Facility
with the aim of providing industry, government and
consumers with locally researched information to
support the use of green roofs in B.C.
Green roof research at BCIT
The BCIT Green Roof Research Facility, a 100,000-
square-metre building, was constructed in 2004 on
Vancouver’s Great Northern Way Campus with the
purpose of researching the storm water control and
thermal performance of green roofs.
Growing demand for product development and
testing from industry has prompted BCIT to expand its
capacity and create the Centre for Advancement of
Green Roof Technology, with funding support from the
Natural Science and Engineering Research Council and
Western Economic Diversification Canada.
The research centre is a hub for the local green roof
industry, conducting product performance testing and
providing demonstration roofs. BCIT develops educational
programming on integrated green roof systems
to support industry growth. Pre-packaged green roof
evaluation modules are also available for companies
wanting to test the performance of their products, or
determine the climatic performance of a green roof in
their area.
About green roofs
Green roofs are layered roofing systems that include
waterproof and root-resistant membranes, a drainage
system, filter cloth, growing media and plants. They can
be created in place or installed using modular sections.
Green roofs have limited impact in short span construction.
The weight of a 3” green roof is approximately
equal to gravel ballast use in inverted roof systems. For
long span construction, load considerations need to
be engineered.
In B.C., the Community Charter and Local Government
Act allow vegetated roof systems. The roofing system
meets municipal demand for pervious surfaces on
building sites. As well, green roofs are proven to not
increase fire risk.
Versions of green roofs have been used around the
world for centuries, particularly in Western Europe. In
Vancouver, the Regional District has identified approximately
300 roofs with some type of vegetation; several
of these were established as early as1976. The recent
interest in British Columbia has been spurred by
benefits that include:
• Reduced storm water runoff – This is an issue in urban
areas, particularly those in rainy climates such as
Vancouver. During heavy or continuous rain, runoff
can overpower storm water systems and damage
waterways and fish habitat. The research centre is
now quantifying research that indicates green roofs
could absorb 60 to 70% of Greater Vancouver’s
rooftop rainfall.
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BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006

• Energy Efficiency – Green roofs reduce the energy
required to heat or cool a building. The research
centre has found that green roofs reduce energy loss
through the roof by 35% during a Vancouver winter
As a result, we expect less expensive building airhandling
systems can be used. And while the initial
cost for a green roof is higher, their lifecycle cost is
competitive with traditional roofs. Membranes on
green roofs typically last twice as long as those on
traditional roofs because the temperature is regulated.
• Reduced Urban Heat Island effect – For a city, the
mass adoption of green roofs will reduce the “urban
heat island,” cooling cities during the hot
summer months.
• Extended lifetime – Greening the roof provides
protection by reducing the daily temperature change
of the roof membrane and extending its length of
performance over time.
• Creation of “extra” green spaces– Green roofs make
the most of unused space within the increasing
density of our cities. Rooftops can be developed
into social and recreational spaces and used for
urban agriculture.
Green roofs typically fall into
two categories
1. Extensive Green Roofs:
Low-maintenance ground-cover systems are ideal for
large flat-roof buildings and apartments, but are also
suitable for sloped residential roofs. Desert grasses and
succulent plants are embedded in three-six inches of
lightweight growing media. After one year, they do not
require watering although annual spring weeding of
tree seedlings brought in by birds is needed. In preparation
for the 2010 sustainable Olympics, the Vancouver
Convention Centre will have 2.4 hectares of very low
maintenance green roofing.
2. Intensive Green Roofs:
Fully landscaped roof top gardens can accommodate
many uses and require regular maintenance. Diverse
plants and trees are planted in 8-12 inches of soil amid
features such as walkways, railings and lighting. Parks,
playgrounds or vegetable gardens are possible. In
Greater Vancouver, Electronic Arts has a rooftop park,
while the Vancouver Fairmont Hotel grows herbs on its
rooftop for the hotel kitchen.
Outlook
Long-term owner/operators such as government and
large organizations are expected to be the first to adopt
green roofs. Developers typically wait for proven consumer
demand, which in this case is likely, as green
roofs offer a good fit to the heightening interest in
environmental stewardship, quality of life, sustainable
design and ecological lifestyles.
The marketplace is primed for this innovation, which
has huge potential for growth and job creation. The
trend has already begun in Vancouver, where all civic
buildings – including the Olympic Athletes Village at
Southeast False Creek – are designated to be LEED Gold
buildings, undoubtedly resulting in a booming green
roof industry. For more information, please refer to the
BCIT website: www.greenroof.bcit.ca.
Linda George, BCIT Centre for the Advancement of
Green Roof Technology
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 23

The Graduate
In my search for prospective persons to contact and
hopefully interview for contribution to this column, I
recently reviewed the BOABC membership list of 618
members. With the competent assistance of Shannon
McAvella, BOABC Office Administrator, I was able to
determine those members noted as retired and
thus might be interested in contributing, if I were to
contact them.
My review of the list was very productive. I was able to
revisit a colleague with whom I had, over the years of
my employment with the City of New Westminster,
many conversations relating to Code interpretations
and application. We were almost always able to agree
on the outcome of most discussions
and I appreciated
that he always understood
the intent of the requirement
being discussed. The
person I’m speaking of is
Robert W. Rush, P. Eng.
Bob was born and raised
on Salt Spring Island,
always returning there for
holidays and weekends. He
returned to reside on Salt
Spring permanently following
his retirement from the
City of Vancouver in 1991.
He has been active there in
many community organizations
and was instrumental
in establishing a volunteer
bureau. He has been the driving force behind the
growth of the Salt Spring Island Foundation while serving
as it’s Chair for the last 15-years. Congratulations to
Bob and his wife Jinny on the celebration of their 51st
wedding anniversary this year. They have two married
daughters and are the proud grandparents of five
grandchildren ranging in age from 9 to 21years.
Professionally Bob is a Life member of the Association
of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British
Columbia. Life-wise he is a regular blood donor having
donated 261 times at last count. Bob graduated from
the University of British Columbia in Mechanical
Engineering in 1953. He began his career by working in
private industry for 19 years. His most interesting work
experience was as Project Engineer for the Tahsis
Company in the construction of the Town of Gold River,
located on the west of Vancouver Island. Bob was
responsible for taking this development from wilderness
to completion as a fully functioning community.
Bob became City Engineer and Planner with the City of
Langley in 1972. His duties included responsibility for
Building Inspection staff. At that time, he joined the
Building Inspectors Association of British Columbia, as
it was then known, which would later become the
Building Officials’ Association of British Columbia
during his building industry career. He joined the City of
Coquitlam as Chief Building Inspector in 1975. In 1982
Bob accepted a position with the City of Vancouver as
Manager, Plan Checking Branch, Department of Permits
and Licences, which he held until retirement in 1991. His
manager duties during this career period included
responsibility for a staff of 6 Professional Engineers and
6 Technologists in administration
of the City’s bylaws
relating to the issuance of
building permits.
Notwithstanding Bob’s
busy career, he was very
active with BOABC and
remains a member of 33
years in good standing to
this day. Bob was editor of
the BOABC News and
Reports for many years. He
served on the BOABC
executive for 13 years
including two years as
BOABC president in1985-6.
He also achieved the
following with BOABC
from initiation to implementation:
Building Inspectors Association of British
Columbia name change to Building Officials Association
of British Columbia (with the intent to reflect the
membership’s broad range of building code responsibilities);
Formalization of 2-year terms of office for
BOABC Executive Officers; Subdivision of Vancouver
Island into North and South zones; BOABC membership
into ICBCO (International Conference of Building
Officials, now known as the ICC); Full membership for
Yukon Building Officials.
Bob’s related career activities included 15-years
teaching the British Columbia Building Code at the
British Columbia Institute of Technology, including a
live taught televised course in 1980 via Anik-B satellite
from the BCIT classroom to 9-colleges throughout
British Columbia and the Yukon. Following retirement
he continued teaching at BCIT for a few years, with a
condensed 1-week course, designed for out of town
Building Officials.
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006 25

The Graduate
He was a member of the BCIT Building
Technology Advisory Committee for
10-years pending retirement and a
member of the Building Code Part-3
Standing Committee to the Canadian
Commission on Building and Fire
Codes by travel to Ottawa several times
a year for a 5-year period during
revisions for the 1995 edition of the
National Building Code.
He Chaired the BC Plumbing Code
provincial review committee 1985 edition
and was Secretary to the Certified
Professional Committee for many years
until retirement. He also served on the
BC Building Code Section 3.7,
Building Requirements for Persons
with Disabilities, Provincial Advisory
Committee, for many years until retirement.
This section was renumbered to
3.8 when the 1998 BCBC was adopted.
In summation, I think it is fair to say
that Bob has contributed generously
over the past 30 plus years to the
improvement of the regulated building
industry and the Building Officials’
Association of British Columbia. I
remember attending the BOABC conferences
where Bob was completing his
term as BOABC President and in his
farewell address to the members in
attendance he stated, “I always try to
leave matters a little better than when I
found them”. I thought to myself at the
time and later, how truthful that
statement is.
I am in need of people to contribute
their experiences in their building
official careers so that I may continue
to compose “The Graduate” column.
Please contact me, phone: 604-576-2908
or email: ve7fwz@smartt.com.
Mailing address:
16938-58A Avenue
Surrey, BC, V3S 7A1
Bob Buckland, BCQ, ASCT
26
BOABC NEWS AND REPORTS — Fall/Winter 2006