National Building Safety Month, 2016

Proclamation 9435 of April 29, 2016

National Building Safety Month, 2016

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Buildings across our country provide safety and shelter
to our people. From high-rises that form our cities'
skylines to ranch homes that blanket the countryside,
our buildings offer places to gather and perform daily
activities, and they must have sound, secure, and
resilient structures. During National Building Safety
Month, we recognize and pay tribute to those who ensure
the safety and resilience of our Nation's buildings,
and we reaffirm our commitment to upholding and abiding
by strong and effective building safety standards.

Maintaining the safety and resilience of our homes and
buildings is imperative. By using disaster-resistant
building codes and standards, resilient construction
materials, and safe and performance-based design
methods, we can safeguard the workplaces, houses,
schools, and other facilities that provide us with
space to grow, live, and learn. Americans can also take
steps to secure buildings before natural disasters
strike by elevating properties where necessary,
anchoring furniture and other materials, reinforcing
doors, and covering windows. I encourage everyone to
visit www.Ready.gov to learn about more ways to keep
yourself and those around you safe in your homes and
businesses.

The Federal Government is leading by example. To
prepare for natural disasters, I have signed Executive
Orders that strengthen the security of Federal
buildings and assets and improve their resilience to
floods and earthquakes, reduce the risks of harm to
people, lower recovery costs, and make it easier for
communities to recover faster and emerge stronger.
Later this month, the White House will bring together
collaborators from the public and private sectors at a
Conference on Resilient Building Codes. This event will
underscore the critical role building codes play in
ensuring community resilience, and it will strengthen
our national commitment to advancing resilience in the
built environment, from codes and standards to building
design and construction.

The consequences of natural disasters can be
exacerbated by the effects of a changing climate--
including through stronger storms and longer wildfire
seasons--so it is crucial that we ensure our buildings
are resilient to the impacts of climate change. My
Administration has worked with communities to build
climate-resilient infrastructure to prepare for the
impacts of climate change that we can no longer
prevent, and we are continuing to invest in energy
efficiency in our buildings.

All people deserve to feel safe in the buildings we
inhabit day in and day out. With care and attention, we
can secure and protect the places we spend time in.
This month, let us take action to safeguard America's
homes, schools, and other buildings, and let us ensure
those responsible for this important work have the
tools and resources they need.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim May 2016 as National
Building Safety Month. I encourage citizens, government
agencies, businesses,

nonprofits, and other interested groups to join in
activities that raise awareness about building safety.
I also call on all Americans to learn more about how
they can contribute to building safety at home and in
their communities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and fortieth.