WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It's been two years since 98 lives were lost in the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside.
WPTV is taking a look at what has changed both locally and statewide regarding building codes and ways to prevent another tragedy.
Palm Beach County building director Doug Wise said the tragedy prompted legislation to keep people in condos safe. He also said condo staff are more diligent about making sure all structures are up to safety standards, and they have the money to pay for those studies. Wise has spent roughly 30 years working in building safety.
"There are now provisions in place in the Florida building code, which will be implemented by Dec. 31 of this year, although they went into effect of June of this year," Wise said.
So, exactly, what does this mean?
Wise said after the collapse the statewide code for tall buildings is being amended to focus more on monitoring and making sure maintenance is taking place the correct way and at the right time.
"Particularly, in this case, they focused on condos and POAs (Property Owners Associations) to make sure the money was there and the reserves are being set aside," Wise said.
He said the new legislation, Senate Bill 4D, also takes a closer look at what's called SIRS or structural integrity review studies.
WPTV asked Wise if there's a direct line between what happened in Surfside and this new provision.
"Absolutely, absolutely," Wise said. "What happened in Surfside should not have happened. Clearly, there were warning signs. It's unclear to me at this point whether this is the fix, but only time will tell. We're doing the best we can with it."
Wise said the legislation is a good first step, but it does have some downfalls.
"They're only focusing on condos," he said. "I think the same risks are inherent in other buildings."
So, what has changed here in Palm Beach County?
"As far as code, we're just trying to keep up with the changes that are being implemented in the code and stay current," Wise explained. "That can be a daunting challenge."
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James also touched on this, saying safety is a crucial part of the business of construction and building design. He said there's been a shift since the 2021 tragedy.
"I think there's more attention to building design and the permitting process to make sure we don't have a repeat of that," he said referencing the tragic Surfside collapse.
Meantime, Wise said that just because something is written in the code doesn't mean it's the solution. He said the implementation of that code is what matters.
"Nobody should take for granted that the code will protect you or that it's foolproof," he said. "Nothing is foolproof. It is diligent people doing their job, doing it diligently, and being given the money and resources to do it with."
