Concerns about the June 24 condo building collapse in Surfside are rippling back to the Tampa Bay area for some people living high above ground.
10 Investigates obtained new emails from people living in the Bay area who are worried and searching for answers.
“Here we are day 6 and search and rescue continues,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in a morning news conference Tuesday.
The mayor says the Surfside site where a condo building collapsed Thursday is still classified as a rescue operation.
More than 200 people are on the mound searching for any survivors, as 150 people remain missing.
“We truly have the best in the world conducting this effort,” the mayor said.
As the efforts continue at the site where the condo building collapsed, Mayor Cava says building officials across the county have already taken immediate action to identify and address any outstanding issues with older buildings in Miami-Dade.
“We are taking swift action immediately to identify and address any outstanding issues with the buildings who have not yet completed their 40 year certification process. Last night, our building officer notified one of those properties, a building in northeast Dade, that four balconies must be immediately closed to residents due to safety conditions," Mayor Cava told journalists.
But, it’s not just people living on the east coast who are concerned.
10 investigates has obtained emails sent to beach communities here in the Bay area. One condo association representative reached out to the Pinellas County Building Services manager in email, asking:
"I manage a high rise condo in Clearwater Beach...Please advise what building structure inspections and how often they are required if any to determine the soundness of the building."
Another woman inquiring about info didn’t want to go on camera but emailed us saying her building is just 10 feet from the sea wall.
She says the railings are rusting off and the roof is leaking but says the owners of the condo never agree to move forward on structural repairs because of the cost.
Pinellas County, which has 75 high rise buildings, tells us there are not statutory certifications for Building Services to perform periodic inspections on any type of structure for structural deficiencies.
The City of Clearwater also wrote us saying there are currently no recertifications after a building receives an initial certificate of occupancy.
And that’s the same for Sarasota County.
The City of Sarasota sent this statement:
"The City of Sarasota sends its deepest sympathies to those families, friends and first responders affected by the tragedy in Surfside, FL. Although we do not have answers yet to the cause of this tragedy and do not want to speculate, we urge that that all structural concerns be taken seriously and evaluated by design professionals. We encourage building owners, property managers and condo associations to continually inspect their buildings and to consult with structural engineers if they find issues. We also want to reassure our citizens that new buildings go through a rigorous inspection process to assure structural integrity and that they meet all current building codes. Contact the City’s Building Division at 941-263-6400 with any questions or concerns."
When we asked whether there are any plans to review or change policies following the building collapse, they all told us no.
So how can you protect yourself?
You need to check to see how often buildings are inspected in your county.
Here is what we have received so far from Tampa Bay area municipalities:
SARASOTA COUNTY:
At this time, Sarasota County is not aware of any discussions to institute a recertification process.
Commercial properties are inspected periodically by the Sarasota County Fire Marshal’s office as per The Florida Fire Prevention Code in accordance with NFPA 1730.
Also from Sarasota County Planning and Development Services:
After issuance of a Building Permit within unincorporated Sarasota County, inspections occur appropriate for that type of work. Once the work is complete, final inspections are conducted by the Building Division staff, and the building is approved for occupancy by the Building Official. Once a certificate of occupancy is issued, the county performs additional inspections only when additional permit requests requiring inspections are requested by the property owner.
If a property owner or occupant of a dwelling in unincorporated Sarasota County would like to have an inspection after this certificate of occupancy, property owners may seek out private vendors or design professionals.
Commercial properties are inspected periodically by the Sarasota County Fire Marshal’s office as per The Florida Fire Prevention Code in accordance with NFPA 1730.
PINELLAS COUNTY:
There are no statutory requirements for Pinellas County Building Services to perform periodic inspections on any type of existing structure for structural deficiencies. That said, there are a number of periodic inspections (like fire marshal and elevator inspections) and if those inspectors notice anything concerning, they report it to their local building official. Furthermore, if a citizen made a report to the Building Official, of a possibly unsafe or dangerous existing building, the Building Official would investigate the situation, safe off any apparent safety hazards, and possibly require (at the owner’s expense) an engineer or architectural evaluation of the structure. Once the results are analyzed corrective actions would need to take place. The building official typically works for the municipality the building is located in (St. Pete, Clearwater, etc.). Pinellas County Government serves that role for unincorporated parts of the county, as well as for several smaller municipalities who have contracted to us for services like Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, and Safety Harbor.
The Pinellas County Property Appraisers Office, which is a separate constitutional entity than the Board of County Commissioners, recently provided us this information. There are 75 high rise buildings (12 stories or greater) in Pinellas. One important thing to know about these buildings is that each municipality maintains their own building official and building inspection capability. The building official typically works for the municipality the building is located in (St. Pete, Clearwater, etc.). Pinellas County Government serves that role for unincorporated parts of the county, as well as for several smaller municipalities who have contracted to us for services like Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Rocks Beach, and Safety Harbor.
Pinellas County, like many counties in Florida, follows the Florida Building Code. If Florida Building Code changes, we will match our processes.
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