Storm & Security

IHPA/INTEL July Meeting Set TheIHPA has been scheduled meeting next general of the for July 19 at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, Coconut Point, FL. A full day of activities is planned including tabletop product and services displays, seminars and a luncheon meeting. From time to time, IHPA meetings are held at locations that make great get-aways for members, their families and associates. This is one of those meetings. The Hyatt is located on Estero Bay on the state's southwest coast and offers many amenities. A large turnout is expected for this meeting, so meeting and tabletop display registration and hotel reservations should be made as soon as available. Proactive Efforts Aim Beyond Florida The International Hurricane Protection Association has been proactively defending and proposing solutions that increase safety, affordability and fair competition on behalf of its members and the industry. Aside from the highly publicized efforts by the IHPA in helping to eliminate false and misleading advertisements from groups such as window film dealers, some of whom are promoting their products as residential impact and hurricane protection, the IHPA is also working to ensure that the HVHZ requirements, created as Wind Zone 4 in the ASTM E 1886/E 1996 standards, are not intentionally or unintentionally expanded to areas outside Miami-Dade and Broward counties in Florida. No science or engineering studies to date have determined a need to further strengthen or require additional minimal requirements. Every Florida Building Commission (FBC) code change cycle requires the IHPA to resubmit all previous code modifications we have initiated or supported over the past 10 years. The only way to maintain these modifications on a more permanent basis is to hire our code consultant to have the changes adopted into the International Code. Florida uses the base International Codes for adoption every three years, adding our modifications to the base codes means they are easier to defend and maintain, not only in Florida but in every other state in the United States. Although doing this requires funding beyond our current budget, it will save money in the long run and make implementation and enforcement of these modifications easier outside of the Florida market. As some of you may know, other organizations or groups are leveraging unintended editorial errors to promote their products over the use of other more cost-effective options. We believe it is essential to have our code consultant, Joe Belcher, JDB Code Services, attend ICC meetings to work on building consensus with other groups to permanently adopt the IHPA initiatives in the International Codes. Here's a brief summary of some of the issues the IHPA has helped steer, monitor or direct for upcoming codes: • Mandatory building permits and inspection requirements for impact resistant coverings • Modified means of escape definition to allow temporary covering or Emergency and Escape Openings (windows in sleeping rooms) as long as there is a point of egress available that is not covered by a removable system (swing door) • Mandatory labeling of protection products for easy identification and compliance with voluntary and mandatory insurance mitigation credit programs • Mandatory safety factor for impact resistant coverings at 1.5 • Supported ANSI/DASMA 115 and TAS 201, 202, 203 as allowable standards to upcoming code versions, currently the International Code only recognizes ASTM E 1886/E 1996 • Supported option for exterior doors to be tested per ANSI A 250.13 • Attending ASTM E1886 and E1996 standards meetings in a proactive effort to monitor changes, improve testing requirements and protect the interests of IHPA member manufacturers and fabricators from unintended changes that could affect their ability to market protection systems in all coastal areas. In addition to the above, the IHPA worked closely with ATI and helped to develop an Impact Protective Device Installer Certification Program. The IHPA endorses the IPD certification program, which ATI Test Labs will administer to certify installers at upcoming events across the state. This process will soon become the standard in providing uniform, code compliant installers and installations for safer communities. The new board of the IHPA elected this year has ambitious goals to take our members' voice nationwide with uniform codes and standards. If you are part of the hurricane protection industry we need your membership and support , become a member today by visiting www.inthpa.com. FORECAST 2013 / STORM & SECuRITY PROTECTION 21

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