Challenge
When the tornado hit the building, air handlers were knocked off their curbs, a hold was torn in the roof, and dozens of windows were blown out. With over $3.5 million worth of equipment already in the building, Northstar had to quickly assess every piece for signs of damage, protect what was still vulnerable to damage, and plan for re-installation after repairs were made to the building.
Success
Within hours of the storm, Northstar triaged the equipment and relocated undamaged items to secure areas of the building to prevent future damage from possible rain infiltration.
In the first 72 hours after the tornado, Northstar coordinated onsite equipment assessments by vendors and worked with them to ensure that warranties would still be honored. Once the assessments were complete, Northstar managed the cleaning and transportation of a majority of the equipment to a secure, climate-controlled storage facility to protect it while repairs were made to the building. In cooperation with the construction manager, vendors, clinical engineering, infection control, and the insurance carrier, Northstar developed a "defend in place" plan for the remaining equipment to protect it in undamaged areas of the building during reconstruction.
At the time of the tornado, the building held over $3.5 million worth of equipment. Because of Northstar's involvement, less than $100,000 needed to be replaced.
The Northstar Team
Chris Gocal, Project Principal; Tony Ruebsam, Project Manager/Medical Equipment Specialist.