Dear Mr. Holland and Board Members

January 8, 2016

Mr. Gerald Holland Chairman Board of Building Standards P.O. Box 4009 6606 Tussing Road Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Dear Mr. Holland and Board Members,

The executive board and membership of the North Eastern Ohio Fire Prevention Association has concerns about the new proposed school lockdown device code language drafted by the Board of Building Standards as required by House Bill 64. Again our organization would like to go on record requesting a wording change that was discussed at the stakeholders meeting on November 16, 2015. This wording was well received by the building officials, the emergency first responders and other stakeholders that were in the audience. Our executive board and membership feel that the devices should be approved by both the building official and the fire official. Proposed wording is:

(Section 1008.1.911: …permitted when approved by a joint consensus of the building official and fire official…).

Since the emergency first responders from law enforcement and fire / EMS will be the ones faced with breeching these devices in an emergency situation, we feel it is critical that the fire service is involved in the decision making process of which devices will be utilized in the school buildings in our response districts. The fire officials can then share this critical information with their partners in law enforcement in their respective response districts. The fire service has been working closely for years with our building officials in the plan review and construction process, so we propose that same thought process in reviewing and approving these specialty lockdown devices.

For the safety of all those that we are all sworn to protect and serve, we strongly urge you change the proposed wording required by House Bill 64!

Respectfully,

John C. Desmarteau President

Cc: Jacqueline T. Williams, Director of Commerce

[email protected] P.O. Box 23795 Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023 www.neofpa.org