The National Fire Protection Association has formed Regional Building Code Committees to gather input from building code officials, representatives of state building professional organizations and other affected parties toward development of NFPA 5000, Building Codetm.

"We have a long history of full participation, and a transparent system with rules that ensure its integrity," said NFPA president George Miller.

Three Regional Building Code Committees will be meeting twice a year. The committees will develop proposals for submission to the building code technical committees and provide comments on recommended changes to the proposals. Although not NFPA Technical Committees, the code development committees will serve a liaison role.

In addition, building officials across the nation will be convening at NFPA's Building Officials Forum Nov. 3-4 in Quincy, Mass. Among the activities during the forum, attendees will review and discuss the draft of NFPA 5000.

Raymond B. Bizal, P.E., of Long Beach, Calif., has been appointed regional manager to build support for the Regional Building Code Committee. He served as Director of Strategic Business Initiatives for IAPMO, and formerly as Manager of Code Development for ICBO.

Continuous updates on the NFPA Building Code project can be viewed at http:// buildingcode.nfpa.org.