The Importance of Health Facilities Back Up Power in Crisis
Hospitals are on the front line of an epidemic sweeping across the country. From California to New York, hospital facilities are being called into action to respond to the COVID-19 threat. As the need for respirators increases by the day, this is creating a tremendous demand for power within these facilities. With so much at stake, power loss is not an option. If your facility is not prepared for a potential spike in power demand, now is the time to dust off your emergency action plan and confirm that your emergency back up generators are up to the task.
Ventilators Depend on Power to Save Lives
Most respirators require around 125 watts to function. Any loss of power can disrupt the flow of air through the system and cause serious harm to a patient. You should calculate your needs based on the number of ventilators you plan to connect and the duration you expect patients to be connected to each machine.
Depending on the way the spread of COVID-19 evolves, it is better to overestimate your anticipated electrical needs. When estimating your demand, carefully consider the demographic within your area. If you are in a region with a significant population of elderly, smokers, or other individuals with pre-existing health conditions, you should not base your estimates off other facilities in areas with a younger, healthier, less susceptible demographic.
Don’t Forget to Add It All Up
Additional ventilators are just part of the equation healthcare providers need to consider. There is a wide range of other equipment itemized in your emergency action plan. It is advisable to dust this plan off and amend it to include your facility’s anticipated increase in patients during a pandemic response. Again, right now, it is better to overprepare than to be caught flat-footed.
Schedule Generator Service Now
The current production of power by utility companies has not been affected by COVID-19. In fact, demand is down. There is plenty of electricity to go around, and thus it is extremely unlikely that there will be power shortages to contend with. However, there are wild cards. These include wildfires that could pop up, spring storms, and other events that occur during any normal year.
There is a limited number of EGSA certified technicians to service power generators. Should a wild card pop up, you need to know that your patients won’t be left in the dark. The sooner you schedule general maintenance and load bank testing of your emergency power generation systems, the sooner you will know that your health facility’s back up power is ready to go.
Contact Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists at (800) 625-8324 for more information about the importance of your health facilities back up power supply. Our team is ready to help ensure that your teams have dependable power should the need arise.