We all want the safest environment for ourselves, our families and our neighbors. Safety begins at home. My mother said this many times. My practical father said that safety begins with the way our homes are built, from the ground up to the rooftop. “If we build it right,” he said, “we’ll be protected forever.”
How do we know if we’re “building right?” We know because we have building codes, which are our consumer protection because they set minimum safety and quality standards for how homes and buildings are designed and constructed. Without these rules, buyers and renters would have little recourse to know whether a structure was built safely.
Building codes require proper electrical systems, structural supports, fire protection, plumbing and ventilation. These regulations protect people from serious hazards such as electrical fires, structural collapse, gas leaks, poor sanitation and unsafe living conditions. Building codes protect consumers from dangerous construction practices and from paying for buildings that are unsafe or poorly built.
Energy efficiency requirements within building codes add another layer of protection by ensuring that buildings use less energy for heating, cooling and lighting. This lowers monthly utility bills and makes housing more affordable for the residents. They also keep indoor spaces more comfortable and resilient during heat waves or cold snaps. Energy efficient buildings reduce strain on the electric grid and cut pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, protecting public health and the environment.
We expect our town to build responsibly, and we elect town officials who will protect the health and safety of the community. But we also have a chance to weigh in on what’s being built in our community. At our town meetings, we act as town officials. At Deerfield’s annual Town Meeting on May 11, residents have the chance to vote for a responsible future when we vote for Climate Leadership.
A “yes” vote for the Specialized Energy Code article is a vote to ensure that new homes and buildings will be sustainable and also economical. Also, when we become a Climate Leadership community, we can tap into incentives and resources from the state government which is moving rapidly toward a carbon-neutral future. This will save Deerfield money for decades to come.
Unfortunately, current homeowners don’t benefit from the Specialized Energy Code because it only applies to new buildings, not even to additions or renovations.
As Rebecca Tepper, the MA Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary, said, programs like Climate Leadership “is how we help our communities add locally produced energy, cut energy demand and costs, and create healthier neighborhoods.”
I think of my father when I change the batteries in my smoke alarm, and I’ll think of him when I vote for Climate Leadership because climate protection is consumer protection. It’s how the government works best because it’s working for everyone. Smoke alarms and seatbelts. Consumer-protection building codes. Facts of life.
The choices we make at our annual Town Meeting on May 11 will shape a stronger, safer, more affordable Deerfield today and protect our community for the future.
That’s what a good building code does.
Analee Wulfkuhle is a member of the Deerfield Historical Commission and former Deerfield Planning Board chairperson.