Behind the scenes of the Permits and Inspections office.
When you walk in the front door of 2210 West Mall, pass through the lobby and take your first left, you’ll find a grey glass door with a sign that reads: “Permits & Inspections Welcome!”
Inside that door are the five Campus and Community Planning staff whose roles are to ensure that the buildings at UBC are built to be safe.
The Permits and Inspections office, under the leadership of Grant Miller, Director of Planning for Development Services, helps ensure that campus building projects contribute to a complete community where people can live, work, learn and play. A big part of this is ensuring that UBC meets the health and safety standards set by regulatory bodies such as the BC Building Code and BC Fire Code – and that is where the staff come in.
Ed Lin, the chief building official, manages a team of inspectors and compliance officers. He makes sure that new and renovated buildings are safe to move into, and live or work in, by ensuring that the proper processes are followed for obtaining permits (in compliance with the BC Building Code).
Ensuring building fire safety systems are in place and properly functioning, as well as making sure that buildings are structurally safe, is the work of Mike Twynstra. He inspects the building systems that are designed to keep people safe in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Joe Gallagher, the plumbing inspector, is responsible for the underappreciated necessity of plumbing and sprinkler systems across campus. His work is to ensure that a high level of sanitation, hygiene, and health are maintained.
As a compliance officer, Ajay Prasad works with contractors and developers to ensure they are following the rules set out for UBC’s construction sites. This includes traffic management, construction site safety plans, demolition plans, noise enforcement, and hydrant permits.
And the person who makes sure that all the work flows in the office is Deborah MacDonald. In her role as administrative support, Deborah oversees the day-to-day workings of the office, liaises with building code consultants, architects, and various committees across campus.
Pictured in the photo is (L) Ed Lin, Deborah MacDonald, Ajay Prasad, and (R) Joe Gallagher. Missing is Mike Twynstra.