Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
University of Michigan Health-West has launched a K9 security program, introducing specially trained dogs and handlers who will enhance safety and bring comfort to patients, families, and staff. The new teams add another layer of protection while helping create a calm and welcoming environment for care. The K9 teams include Derek Karcher and Tukka, Isaiah […]
It’s 2:00 a.m. and an alarm sounds at a distribution center. The police respond as soon as they can, employees are notified as quickly as possible, and managers brace for news of theft or vandalism. Only, it turns out to be a false alarm triggered by a roving street cat. Nothing stolen, nothing damaged, only […]
The statistics are undeniable: FEMA and the U.S. Geological Survey estimate an annual toll of over 6,000 injuries and 360 fatalities from earthquakes across the United States. California bears the brunt of this impact, shouldering over 60% of the nation’s earthquake-related injuries and fatalities. In addition, the state experiences $9.6 billion in economic losses every […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. New School in New Jersey It’s not just back-to-school season—it’s build-a-school season! Across the country, a number of communities are busy constructing new schools or making necessary upgrades amid infrastructure issues and rising populations. For example, leaders […]
Higher education institutions across the United States have experienced tightened budgets because of fluctuating enrollment rates, increasing costs, and a surge in security demands. As a result, facilities managers have had to make strategic cuts and reallocate resources without compromising efficiency, safety, and compliance. Investing in new technologies and training is crucial for surveillance and […]
On this latest episode of FMA Shorts, Tom Heneghan, manager of Preparedness Education and Youth Preparedness at the American Red Cross, underscores the importance of emergency plans amid worsening natural disasters. This clip was taken from a webinar titled, “Weathering the Storm: How to Prepare Facilities for Natural Disasters.” The full session is available for […]
No building is completely safe from natural disaster. Even facilities that are carefully maintained and safeguarded by rigorous safety precautions may still experience the results of fire or flooding. Such unwelcome events can compromise not only the infrastructure of the facility, but also the contents inside—with damage potentially extending to electronics, office supplies, furniture, and […]
Building drawings and facility information have long been undervalued, often relegated to storage rooms or legacy systems, considered a necessary cost rather than a strategic asset. However, this information is far more than a historical archive. It is the foundation for ongoing operations, informed decision making, and long-term resilience. As buildings age and evolve, the […]
There is no such thing as perfect, airtight security. This is a hard truth that facilities managers have to accept. Any security setup is going to have gaps somewhere. Our job is to minimize those gaps to reduce the odds of a malicious actor slipping through and help keep the facility safe amidst a rising […]
Facilities managers face daunting challenges in the calmest of times, but even more so as emergencies like natural disasters are becoming more frequent. But with the right tools, like a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), FMs can centralize all the information they need in one accessible place. CMMS are likely to become used more in […]