Florida steps up to ensure building safety

In the aftermath of the Champlain Towers South collapse, many people living in thousands of condominiums across Florida mull over the safety of their own homes.

As local officials discuss and relook policies to ensure that the same tragedy does not happen again, several experts in the building industry and facilities management personnel have decided to take charge and move ahead with ensuring the safety of Florida residents.

Republican Governor Ron DeS-antis said he is not ready to propose changes in state oversight of aging high-rise condominium buildings. He called such condominiums "a dime a dozen" and described the collapse of the 40-year-old oceanfront building as a "unique tragedy".

He said on Wednesday it remains unknown if the disaster will require extensive changes to issues such as building inspections or construction.

"Is it something that buildings of that age would have implications beyond that, whether southern Florida or the entire state of Florida?" said DeSantis at a news conference. "I think we need to get those definitive answers."

Urgent inspections

But some structural engineers and architects said the tragedy should serve as a catalyst to update Florida's dated building inspection laws, especially in coastal communities where rising water tables pose increasing threats.

Four engineering associations want to develop revised buildings code and inspection protocols before state lawmakers return to Tallahassee in January for their 2022 session.

Jeff Brower, chair of Florida's Volusia County, said the tragedy should be a wake-up call and suggested that inspection of new buildings should be every 10 years.

"We inspect bridges every two years and yet a high-rise can go up right on the coast and it's inspected at the time it's built and never again," said Brower, who said residents have sent photos of damaged buildings. "It's kind of a wake-up call."

He has been in contact with the governor's office on the issue, but thinks acting locally will be quicker.

In Boca Raton city in southern Florida, officials are working quickly to establish a recertification process for older buildings. Neither the city nor Palm Beach County requires building recertification.

However, Steve Rogers did not wait for the new policies. Rogers, president of the Chalfonte condominium association, has already started looking into building inspections after the Champlain collapse.

"It's going to take time for the city or the state to come out with new laws, and in that time, we have to move. We have to do the right things now," Rodgers said.