As an exclusive Building & Fire Code Academy innovation, the Code Enforcement Career Development Program (CECDP) creates knowledgeable building and fire code professionals who can easily step into or enhance their employment opportunities in municipal building departments and other code-related professions.
Program Highlights
The CECDP is a 13-week curriculum designed to provide qualified candidates with the fundamental knowledge and field experience to obtain or enhance employment opportunities. The program represents a unique and effective approach to educating and preparing qualified candidates to become employed in various code-related professions.
The CECDP provides:
- Essential knowledge of residential and commercial construction codes
- Skills training and understanding of the application and enforcement of building and fire codes
- Plan review skills, inspection and code enforcement skills applicable to a variety of code-related professions
- All course related codebooks and workbooks
- Qualified instructors with years of experience to guide students through the challenging program and certification testing
- Monthly evaluation to assess the program’s effectiveness and student’s progress
Course Materials
Each participant will be provided materials from BFCA.
Who Should Attend
The Code Enforcement Career Development Program is an ideal choice for individuals from any occupational background desiring career change, whether or not they have beginning or advanced skills in construction related fields.
Workers experiencing layoffs resulting from recent economical declines or work shortages in other fields can learn new skills and build on their current knowledge.
The CECDP provides a solid foundation of education and preparation for any number of related professions such as:
- Municipal inspectors
- Plans examiner
- Developer or designer
- Insurance field inspector
- Lending institution verifiers
- Corporate safety officials
- Construction
Description of the Program
Relates and trains in the application of residential and commercial construction codes, plan review, inspection, and code enforcement.
Prerequisites & Other Requirements For Admission to Program
Applicants must be a high school graduate or possess a General Educational Development certificate (GED) and be able to demonstrate reading comprehension and basic mathematical skills.
Program Objectives
To provide experience working as an intern in municipalities, guide in the application of skills to successfully pass the ICC certification tests, and to assist in the gainful employment of successful graduates.
Required Courses
- Basic Code Enforcement
- Building Department Basics
- Fire-Resistive Construction Requirements
- Hazardous Materials Awareness
- Illinois Accessibility Code
- Inspecting and Managing Special Events
- International Building Code
- International Building Code – Plan Review
- International Fire Code
- International Property Maintenance Code
- International Residential Code
- International Residential Code – Electrical
- International Residential Code – Mechanical
- International Residential Code – Plumbing
- International Residential Code – Plan Review
- International Zoning Code
- Swimming Pool and Spa Code
- Understanding the Legal Aspects of Code Administration
Number of Weeks: 13
Total Credit/Clock Hours: 246
Consumer Information and Disclosures
| Reporting Period: July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017 | Number |
| Number of students who were admitted in the program as of July 1 of this reporting period | 1 |
| Number of additional students who were admitted in the program during the next 12 months and classified: | – |
| New starts | 0 |
| Re-enrollments | 0 |
| Transfers into the program from other programs at the school | 0 |
| Total number of students admitted in the program during the 12 month reporting period who: | 1 |
| – Transferred out of the program into another program at the school | 0 |
| – Completed or graduated from the program | 1 |
| – Withdrew from the school | 0 |
| – Are still enrolled | 0 |
| Number of students enrolled in the program who were: | 0 |
| – Placed in their field of study | 0 |
| – Placed in a related field | 0 |
| – Placed out of the field | 0 |
| Not available for placement due to personal reasons | 1 |
| Not employed | 0 |
| Number of students who took a State Licensing Examination or professional certification examination during the reporting period | 1 |
| Number of students who took and passed a state licensing examination or professional certification examination during the reporting period | 1 |
| Number of graduates who obtained employment in the field who did not use the school’s placement assistance during the reporting period | 0 |
| Average starting salary for all school graduates employed during the reporting period | 0 |
The Building and Fire Code Academy Leader and History
Founder and president of the Building & Fire Code Academy, Richard A. Piccolo brings over 30 years of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to the CECDP.
A Vietnam war veteran, Mr. Piccolo began his civilian career as a firefighter with the Elk Grove Village Fire Department in 1971 where he utilized his knowledge to conduct community education programs and fire protection code enforcement.
During his 18 years as a firefighter, lieutenant, and public educator, Mr. Piccolo also became involved in other construction disciplines by conducting building plan reviews mastering model codes and standards, and understanding the positive impact of code compliance. Among his many achievements, Mr. Piccolo holds a degree in Fire Science and has earned the top certification in his field as an International Code Council Master Code Professional. He holds 19 certificates in building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection codes. Recognized nationwide for his contributions to building code enforcement, he has served and continues to serve in many distinguished leadership positions within the construction industry and related associations, and has been honored with many awards for extraordinary industry service. He is currently chairman of the Codes & Standards Committee for the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association and a former member of the Illinois Building Commission subcommittee. As past president of the Illinois Council of Code Administrators, Mr. Piccolo continues to participate in code organizations nationwide. He has authored numerous training courses taught nationwide. He also served for eight years as an adjunct faculty member at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, where he taught building code and fire science courses. He also is an appointed, court-certified expert in building and construction codes.
Richard A. Piccolo
President
The Building and Fire Code Academy Accreditation
BFCA is an Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approved vocational school. Established in 2001 as an academy offering continuing education and consulting services to those in the building, fire and code enforcement industry, BFCA became an official Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in 2006. The mission of the Building & Fire Code Academy is to provide comprehensive and practical education in the administration, application and enforcement of building and fire codes by offering both continuing education courses and complete career programs to people of all experience levels.
To validate the quality of training, BFCA has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IAECT). In obtaining this accreditation, BFCA has demonstrated that it complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard and is authorized to offer IACET continuing education units (CEUs) for its programs that qualify.
The Building and Fire Code Academy is now recognized as an International Code Council (ICC) Preferred Provider with approved instructor led on-site and online training programs offering CEUs. In addition, BFCA is also a registered training provider for both the American Institute of Architects/Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) and the Association of Licensed Architects (ALA).
Students completing courses receive CEUs, contact hours and/or state credit where applicable. All courses qualify for the Health, Safety and Welfare (HSW) credit. To deliver the highest quality of training, all Building & Fire Code Academy instructors are approved by the IBHE as highly qualified experts in the fields in which they teach.
