NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 100
BOSTON 2017
Conference & Expo
can save them valuable time. One customer was tech-adverse
and was still using a flip phone, but once he saw our video
inspection program in action, he went out and got a smartphone so he could take advantage of the time savings.
I will be sharing all of this and more at the upcoming
NFPA conference, where the Building Code Development
Committee, of which I'm a member, will present a white
paper and a panel discussion on video chat inspections.
In March, I sent out an informal survey on video inspections through discussion boards for building officials in
Washington and Oregon; I was curious if other jurisdictions
were doing anything similar or if they had suggestions
for improving the process. Many of the inspectors who
responded to the survey had the same misgivings that were
voiced in my department: video inspections could be gamed
like photos and weren't necessarily reliable. The inspectors'
comments indicated that some felt they were giving up too
much management of the process, and that a video inspection wasn't a true inspection. At the same time, the survey
asked building officials if they would consider using video
chat inspections in jurisdictions that needed such a tool,
and almost all of the more than 40 respondents said they
would consider them. A couple mentioned that they were
even looking at apps or services currently available that are
specifically designed for video inspections. I hope more jurisdictions will consider these creative and useful tools.
An important element of the Sherlook program was
clearly defining the parameters for when it could be used. We
wanted the inspections to improve customer service while
also being efficient and practical. In the survey, this was
another area where building officials questioned the quality of inspections conducted with the help of video. To that
point, the tool needs to fit the job; it would not be efficient
or effective to do most inspections this way, but it could work
for many of the inspections that were frustrating our customers. What I would stress to skeptical building officials is
that the inspector manages the video inspection and makes
the decision on when it's appropriate to use. We have used
video inspection for some components of almost every classification of inspection. Missing framing clips, inappropriate
plumbing fittings, insufficient nailing, problems with duct
supports, and insulation installation requiring corrections
are just a few of the many types of problems we've surveyed
with the help of video inspections.
At the same time we initiated Sherlook, we also launched a
program called TikTok, which allows homeowners to schedule inspection appointments to limit the time they need to
wait for an inspector. Like Sherlook, the customer calls the
office or the inspector to set up an appointment that works
for them and for the inspector. The two programs are not
related, but both address customer service by providing
other options to the standard service. One result of these
efforts is that our stakeholders, including county leadership,
sees our efforts related to video inspections as positives, both
from a service and an innovation perspective. I can't think of
any of us who couldn't benefit from improving the perspective of our stakeholders.
100 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7
Innovation, progress, and zombies
We continue to pursue ways to build on our service and innovation. In March, we conducted our first drone inspections,
for a roofing inspection and a site inspection. We realized
that we are limited by the roof height or terrain in these
types of inspections, and it occurred to me that if companies
like Amazon can deliver a package with a drone then we
ought to be able to do an inspection. One of our inspectors
knew that a local contractor had recently gotten into drones
as a hobby, and he was eager to meet our entire inspection
team in the field and
pilot the drone while
CONFERENCE
we took turns viewing
SESSION
the screen. The images
Remote Video
captured by the drone's
Inspections:
cameras were amazingly
Guidelines for
clear. We are going to
Effective Use
Tuesday, June 6,
send a couple of inspec9:30-10:30 a.m.
tors to get their "pilot's"
Jim Muir, Clark County
(Washington) Building
certification and then
Safety
decide on which equipRay Bizal, NFPA
ment to purchase. We
think we will be able to
conduct much more thorough inspections of certain kinds of
projects using a drone, and we may even find other inspections that could be better done with a drone.
We've also launched efforts that complement our video
inspections. We realized homeowners often didn't know much
about the systems and functionality of their homes, including
many aspects related to safety, so we created a homeowner's
manual covering topics from emergency services to how to
change a furnace filter. We leave a copy of the manual at every
new home or addition project at final inspection. Additionally,
for the last several years we've provided code books and standards to any contractor who needs one, free of charge. Other
jurisdictions have asked why we don't just make contractors
buy their own copies, but this way I can diffuse the usual
excuses around not being aware of the code; I can go back to a
contractor and say, "It's in the code book we gave you." We also
purchase and give homeowners who are doing projects a code
guide that includes common code requirements and illustrations. We have had more than one homeowner tell us it not
only helped them with a project, but it reduced the stress associated with being unfamiliar with the code and wondering if
an inspector would make them tear out work because it didn't
meet code requirements.
As a routinely used tool, the Sherlook program continues
to be a valuable asset for us, and we continue to remind
customers of its availability and efficiencies. Construction is
booming and we continue to hire, which can present its own
challenges. To appeal to young people considering careers
as code professionals, we created a six-page comic book
that features zombies pursuing other career paths. We give
prospective candidates rubber stress-relief zombies with our
logo on them just to make sure they remember us.
I hope Lucille Ball would be proud of us: busy people
being creative, trying to get stuff done.
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2017
Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Contents
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 4
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 5
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 6
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NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 16
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I1
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - I2
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 17
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 18
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 19
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 20
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - 21
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NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover3
NFPA Journal - May/June 2017 - Cover4
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