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Board Profile: Adolph Zubia
"I'm fortunate in that the organization as a whole is supportive of the fire service's participation in the process," says Adolf Zubia, Vice President of the Code Council Board of Directors. He takes issue with the image that ICC is an organization of building code officials, because he sees the importance of the fire service in the code process as well. He admits that many firefighters don't take their careers in the same direction he did, but he believes it was right for him. "I decided to go into the fire marshal's office, which is the part of the fire department that enforces fire codes."
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Adolf Zubia, Vice President of the International Code
Council Board of Directors is a man who is never really satisfied.
He's always looking for ways to improve whatever he's working
on.
 "I
really respect and admire a drive that goes beyond the norm," he admits.
"Look at Olympic sprinters, in my opinion the most beautiful athletes. They
may set a world record. Nobody in the history of mankind has ever done as well.
And what do they have to say? They still think they can do better. I tell my staff
that's what I want to hear from them. I don't care if you have done it the best
ever. You should have the drive to see if you can do even better than that. They
get mad and say I'm never satisfied, but I tell them they shouldn't be either.
Once that becomes part of your acceptance, what else is there? You need to be
able to challenge yourself and push yourself further."
That drive is part of the story of his rise to membership
on the ICC board, which began with one of the legacy organizations.
"I started getting very involved, because the more I
learned, the more I realized I needed to know. I was very
fortunate to get on some committees and saw the advantages
of staying active, not just at the local level but nationally,"
he says.
True to form, he strives for excellence in his position
on the board. "My issue is to try to make sure we make
appropriate decisions with the information we have, and that's
what I guarantee…fairness, openness and the opportunity
to be heard before decisions are made."
 He
is one of only three people on the 18-member board that serves in the fire service.
"I'm fortunate in that the organization as a whole is supportive of the fire
service's participation in the process," he says. He takes issue with the
image that ICC is an organization of building code officials, because he sees
the importance of the fire service in the code process as well. He admits that
many firefighters don't take their careers in the same direction he did, but he
believes it was right for him. "I decided to go into the fire marshal's office,
which is the part of the fire department that enforces fire codes, deals with
building construction issues and fire protection systems, fire investigations
and so forth. The reason for it was very simple: I thought it would be the most
proactive thing I could possibly do if I wanted to make a difference.
"Once you get into the technical arena, it's a hard
thing to sell," he continues. "You can sell public
safety when you are talking about burning buildings, but it's
harder to sell public safety when you are talking about specific
code requirements on the technical side that doesn't have
the blood and guts kind of thing you have in a structure fire.
But a little success breeds additional success."
He explains the importance of codes when it comes to the
fire service: "When you are dealing with a structure
fire or some event that deals with compromising of the safety
of the building itself, that's a failed event at that point
in time. Regardless of how quick we can get there and how
much we can do, or the fact that we can minimize any further
damage, it's a failure. Now, it needs to be done and we need
to do it; however, if we (the fire service) want to make a
difference, you do it through a proactive, preventative measure.
And that's the way we can enhance the safety of the community,
to make sure buildings are built to the codes and standards
that we've adopted. What should be paramount is to prevent
rather than respond."
 Zubia
sees the influence of ICC becoming more international in scope
in the coming years. "Our sphere of influence should
be global. We're truly trying to make a difference not just
for us, but worldwide. I've had the pleasure of traveling
to South America and Central America and I can tell you, it
breaks your heart. We as humans aren't doing our job. Our
responsibility should go beyond our current boundaries and
should extend to all mankind."
He hopes to continue serving as 'coach' for ICC as long
as there are new goals to strive for. "I want to make
sure that the issues of our membership are heard and considered.
I want to make sure that there's a feeling of inclusion; that
everybody matters. Our core mission and our core values should
be maintained, and that's what separates us and makes us what
we are. It's my responsibility as a board member to make sure
we take that to the next level."
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