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Montana bill would add fire chiefs’ representative to state building code council
Summary
A Montana House bill would add a member of the Montana Fire Chiefs Association to the state building code council to improve coordination between fire safety and building-code rulemaking, proponents told the Senate Local Government Committee.
Representative Derek Tillman on behalf of House Bill 144 asked the Senate Local Government Committee to add a representative of the Montana Fire Chiefs Association to the state building code council.
The bill would add one seat to the council that advises the Department of Labor and Industry on the application, implementation and interpretation of the state building code and local codes adopted by counties, cities and towns.
The change, proponents said, would bring fire-safety expertise into code deliberations. "This is not a department bill but we are thrilled to stand up in support," Sarah Swanson, commissioner for Montana's Department of Labor and Industry, told the committee. Swanson pointed to the statute cited in testimony ("50-61-115") that sets the council's purpose: to harmonize building codes and related rules with construction-industry needs and public safety.
Rich Cowger of the Montana State Fire Chiefs Association and Ole Hedstrom of the Montana State Firefighters Association also testified in favor. Cowger said early communication between code-makers and fire professionals improves outcomes; Hedstrom said adding a fire chiefs' perspective would "make our Montana firefighters and our Montana community safer."
Swanson described recent tension between the fire marshal's fire code and the building code council's code and said the bill aims to encourage collaboration early in rule development.
No opponents or informational witnesses appeared for HB 144 during the hearing and no committee action was recorded on the measure during the session covered by the transcript.
Why it matters: building-code decisions shape construction practices, costs and public safety across the state. Including a fire-service representative on the council is intended to bring frontline emergency response concerns into rulemaking and reduce later conflicts between overlapping code regimes.
The hearing record closed with Representative Derek Tillman asking the committee to concur; the hearing ended without a recorded vote.
