First observed in 1980, Building Safety Week annually raises public awareness of critical safety issues affecting every person, regardless of age or occupation. These entail the structural soundness of the buildings where we live and work, reliability of fire prevention and suppression systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency and sustainability as we have seen in recent months with tornados and high winds.

Inspectors, plan reviewers and other in the City of Millersville Building Codes and Fire Departments work to ensure the safety of the structures in which all of us live, work, attend school, worship and play. These officials provide the first line of defense against building disasters. We are silent but vigilant guardians who work daily to ensure safety in the built environment. We also offer free maintenance inspections to renters in an effort to keep all of our citizens safe.

Local activities supporting Building Safety Week include a Safety Day Extravaganza that will include fun for the whole family with booths, demonstrations, games and much more. This event will be held April 26, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Community Center in Millersville. Attractive educational materials are available for the community at large; for example, brochures about the benefits of building permits, mold prevention, what every tenant and landlord need to know and helping hand - information for the needy. The public is encouraged to participate and learn about the essential safety work of the City of Millersville Fire, Police, Public Works and Building Departments.

We will also be holding our second annual ReNew Crew Event, where volunteers repair homes of the low income, elderly and disabled citizens in our city. ReNewal Day will be on May 3, 2008; we will be repairing two homes this year. The program is in need of volunteer labor and donations.

The City of Millersville Building Codes Department is a member of the International Code Council. The sponsor of Building Safety Week, the Code Council develops the most widely used building safety and fire prevention codes in the nation. For more information contact Karen Smith at 615-859-0880.