IBHS Lauds Mississippi’s Enactment of Statewide Building Codes
TAMPA, FL (PRWEB) March 18, 2014 -- The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) commends Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant for signing landmark legislation (SB 2378) creating a statewide building code which will improve public safety, make homes stronger, and protect property values.
“Mississippi has taken a significant step forward in protecting its citizens by enacting this historic legislation that will help make the state a safer, stronger place to live and work,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “IBHS commends the leadership of the Mississippi legislature, as well as the Mississippi Department of Insurance, without whose focus and commitment to improving building safety in Mississippi, this legislation would not have become law.”
Mississippi is highly vulnerable to not only hurricanes and severe windstorms but also non-catastrophic wind and fire losses. Implementing effective property loss mitigation measures like statewide building codes can save lives, promote long-term fiscal stability, reduce post-disaster state government aid and recovery costs, protect the environment, and create a more resilient society. As the state begins to roll out the new codes, which become effective July 1, it will be critical to provide a uniform, statewide approach to the training and implementation of code enforcement.
“We can’t move buildings out of the way when Mother Nature roars, but we can make sure they are built stronger and safer so they are more resistant to severe weather events,” said Rochman. “While there is still work to be done, Mississippi knows it is not a matter of if another storm will hit, but when it will hit.”
About The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research and communications organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks on residential and commercial property by conducting building science research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparedness practices.
Contact: Tiffany O'Shea
Director, Public Affairs
(813) 675-1047 (o) (512) 636-7811 (c)
toshea(at)ibhs(dot)org
Twitter: @disastersafety.org
Kenya Woodard, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, +1 (813) 675-1053, [email protected]
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