Инспектор по строительству города Хермистон получила награду «Инспектор года» за обеспечение безопасности при возведении 130 новых домов

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... HERMISTON — There are very few, if any, new structures built in Hermiston during the past 18 months that Heaven Doherty doesn’t know about. As building inspector for the city of Hermiston, her job is to make sure each one is built safely and up to code. Each day, the Hermiston Building Department receives between 20 and 50 requests for inspections. Hermiston offers same-day inspection service, which means the office fulfills every request turned in before 7 a.m. that same day. Whether it’s a new house, commercial building or remodel, Doherty’s job is to make sure the project gets a building, mechanical and plumbing inspection. Safety the top priority It’s her responsibility to make sure the building is being constructed according to the design plans. That means making sure occupants have safe exits, the building has appropriate air quality and ventilation, and ensuring it has the integrity needed to protect people, particularly in the event of a natural disaster. “We live 98% of our lives in a building so you want to make sure you have clean air,” she said. “If a fire happens, you want to make sure people can safely get out of the building. It’s not about saving the building but making sure people have an egress out of the building.” Doherty’s dedication to her job resulted in the Oregon Building Officials Association recognizing here as the Building Inspector of the Year. Doherty grew up on the family ranch in Pilot Rock, and she attended Weston-McEwen High School. In 2005, she went to work for a general contractor where she focused on contract and property management. “That piqued my interest in construction,” she said. In the 2010s, Doherty went to work for the city of Pendleton working in finance as well as with the public works crew. “About five years ago, I maneuvered my way into the building department,” Doherty said. She started out issuing building permits and credited former Pendleton building official Ty Woolsey with supporting her efforts to become a building inspector. ‘A balancing act’ A typical day for Doherty is a busy one that requires efficiency. She learned to be a good manager of her time while working full time for the city of Pendleton and being a full-time student at Chemeketa Community College in Salem where she took its building inspection technology program. Her time management skills have come in handy since joining the city of Hermiston about 18 months ago. She starts her day at 7 a.m. with prioritizing her to-do list, which typically includes residential and commercial inspections. “In Hermiston, it’s pretty evenly divided between commercial and residential,” Doherty said. “It’s a balancing act and it can be tricky. If you’re not there at a site, the project isn’t moving forward.” It’s not unusual, she said, for some property owners to skip the inspection process. “Human nature is to push the limits,” Doherty said. “But just like you need police officers to enforce the law and codes, you need building inspectors to make sure everything is done properly.” Doherty said when people skip the inspection process, it’s usually because they feel they don’t have the time or money or they didn’t know inspections are required for all new buildings and remodels. Doherty said new buildings and remodels must meet a minimum standard before getting the seal of approval. “You can go above the code if you want, but if someone is spending $400,000 to $500,000 on a house, you want that home to meet the minimum code,” she said. Moving the project forward Doherty said there are rarely any issues when working with property owners. “Most people are easy to work with because they want their project to move forward,” she said. Doherty’s interest in building inspections goes beyond showing up on site with a clipboard. She is vice president of the Eastern Oregon Building Officials Association, which provides support and training for the more rural parts of the state. The association also provides networking opportunities and a knowledge base for area inspectors to draw from. For Doherty, the job of building inspector never lets up. Last year, 130 new homes were built in the city and more than $200 million in building permits were filed. Those permits included single-family homes, data centers, two new gyms and a 28-building apartment complex. Doherty is not complaining. “The growth in Hermiston is wonderful,” Doherty said. “It keeps me employed.”