U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Building Strong, Serving the Nation and the Armed Forces, 2020-2021

Page 143

we help assess the medically unique aspects of the project – what is required to convert sites into facilities capable of delivering health care – so the districts can focus on what they do best.” Specifically, site assessments help determine whether health care requirements can be met based on the number of patients it would support, the proximity to nearby hospitals, utility requirements, air filtration and handling capacities, safety features for emergency response and egress, staging of ambulances, and parking availability. Another consideration is the time it would take to convert the facility for health care use. Normally, such conversions take between five days and two weeks, varying from site to site based on the level of patient care, number of patient beds, and the extent of work required. Doss explained how the Huntsville team developed facility assessment checklists that field engineers could take with them to determine whether those facilities identified by FEMA and state and local government could be converted into viable alternate care facilities. “We try to draft our deliverables around several scenarios,” he said, “COVID-19 and non-COVID patients. We’re working with local health officials to make it site adaptable. It all depends on the local officials: the mayor, the governor, local health officials, wherever you’re at in the country to see what they need.” Jelani A. Ingram, Huntsville Center’s acting branch chief of architecture, said the MX initially developed a checklist of items that a building/site needed to have in order for it to be considered a viable site for an ACF. “The checklist focused on all building conditions including architectural, site, MEP [mechanical, electrical, and plumbing] systems, fire protection, ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessibility, all building infrastructure, and that it met minimum code requirements,” he explained. “There were certain conditions that a building had to meet before a full-on assessment would be done.” Based on this checklist, these buildings could quickly be eliminated based on a “Go/No Go” evaluation. “If a structure did not have a fire suppression system it would automatically be considered a No Go and eliminated,” he said. Ingram admits, however, that in the case of an arena, such restrictions could be relaxed because they often encompass large open spaces and normally do not have sprinkler systems. “In such cases, other means to sprinkler the space would need to be explored,” he said. “Other factors that could quickly eliminate a building/site were no ADA accessibility routes for handicap and patient gurneys, elevators too small to fit a gurney, exposed asbestos, and if utilities were in need of extensive repair or replacement, that required long lead times on replacement parts,” Ingram said. The hospital and city members are responsible for providing USACE with potential buildings/sites for ACF conversion. They would decide if they wanted the ACF to accommodate COVID or non-COVID patients (most chose non-COVID, because it would be less taxing on their resources). “Our team would look at each site identifying first the No Go markers,” Ingram added. “Then, when those were eliminated, we would look at proximity to local hospitals because being able to staff these ACFs with health care providers was going to stretch hospital resources. So,

We would design and lay out the space showing patient beds/cots, nurses’ station, administrative support, storage, portable bathroom and shower facilities, and medical support areas. This information was packaged and handed over to our partner and then briefed to the governor. it was determined that ACF sites needed to be within at least a 10-mile radius of the hospital.” Since Huntsville Center is not bound by regional location and provides technical and engineering support to all USACE geographic districts, the Mobile District asked for support in its efforts with statewide assessments. “They looked to us to cover the northern part of Alabama,” he said. “We conducted our assessment in Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, and Calhoun counties [Anniston, Oxford]. Once a site was chosen, the team would go in and photograph the site, taking notice of open floor space, access points for patients, staff, and equipment. The team would assess the HVAC [heating, ventilation, and air conditioning] system, power requirements, and if there was back-up power to help run potential medical equipment.” That assessment included looking at the number of restrooms to accommodate staff and patients, and whether the facilities had a full kitchen and laundry room that could be utilized. “We found that abandoned or repurposed hospital spaces were the best locations, because the medical infrastructure was already in place,” Ingram said. “There would be nurse call, back-up power, critical power outlets, clean and dirty zones, private bathroom and showers, full kitchens, laundry, proper nurse stations, pharmacy, sterile storage, elevators for gurneys, ADA access, hazardous waste disposal, and security checkpoints. These facilities could be quickly recommissioned and brought back online.” The team assessed arenas, abandoned and repurposed hospital spaces, hotels, city meeting centers, and convention centers, trying to accommodate a wide range of options for the areas. “We had 48 hours: a day to assess two or three sites and a day to package the report that covered all major disciplines ranging from architectural/site, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection, and get it back to the Mobile District,” Ingram said. “We would design and lay out the space showing patient beds/cots, nurses’ station, administrative support, storage, portable bathroom and shower facilities, and medical support areas. This information was packaged and handed over to our partner and then briefed to the governor. “The process was pretty seamless. Once a site was chosen, the Corps was given 30 days to design, construct, and hand over an ACF to FEMA and local officials,” he said. “The Huntsville Center was critical to getting out early facility checklists, performance work statements, 139


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SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION

2min
page 66

416th THEATER ENGINEER COMMAND Answering the call to serve during COVID-19 pandemic

4min
pages 158-160

412th THEATER ENGINEER COMMAND

5min
pages 156-157

249th ENGINEER BATTALION (PRIME POWER)

3min
pages 24, 154-155

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS FINANCE CENTER

3min
pages 136, 153

MARINE DESIGN CENTER MANAGING PROCUREMENT OF DREDGE FOR AZERBAIJAN

3min
pages 64, 152

OFTEN, THE QUESTION ARISES: “WHAT DOES AVIATION HAVE TO DO WITH LOGISTICS?” THE ANSWER IS: “A LOT MORE THAN YOU THINK!”

5min
pages 150-151, 162

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESOURCES

2min
pages 148-149, 163

LOCATION MATTERS

4min
pages 130, 146-147

A PART OF THE SOLUTION: HUNTSVILLE CENTER'S RESPONSE EFFORT TO SAVE LIVES

16min
pages 2, 6, 140-145

ERDC RESEARCHERS TACKLE HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS

4min
pages 137-139

ERDC RESEARCHERS IMPROVE NUMERICAL MODELING FOR POST-WILDFIRE FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT

4min
pages 134-136

ERDC ANSWERS THE COVID-19 CALL

5min
pages 56, 132-133

U.S. ARMY ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER

1min
pages 7, 132-133

TASK FORCE ESSAYONS PROVIDES CRITICAL ENGINEERING SUPPORT

4min
pages 129-131

POWERING UP A COUNTRY, ONE TOWER AT A TIME

12min
pages 125-130, 163

MIDDLE EAST DISTRICT BUILDS STRONG DURING PANDEMIC

6min
pages 13-14, 123-125

FINDING THE SCRATCH BEFORE STARTING FROM SCRATCH

5min
pages 8, 122-123

TRANSATLANTIC DIVISION LEADS THE WAY IN CONTINGENCY SUPPORT

8min
pages 2, 4, 6, 8, 118-121

TRANSATLANTIC DIVISION

1min
pages 24, 32, 38, 118-121

PROCESSING THE FUTURE IN A PANDEMIC WORLD

2min
pages 75, 117

FINDING CONSTRUCTION ALTERNATIVES

3min
pages 4, 115-117

ENGINEERING CENTER’S EXPERTISE ENHANCES U.S. INDO-PACIFIC REGIONAL PRESENCE

3min
pages 112-113, 138

HONOLULU DISTRICT CONDUCTS 43 SITE ASSESSMENTS

3min
pages 8, 111-112

DISTRICT PROVIDES TECHNICAL SUPPORT DURING CONSTRUCTION OF ROK F-35A FACILITIES

5min
pages 38, 109-110, 116

ALASKA DISTRICT CONVERTS ARENA INTO ALTERNATE CARE SITE

1min
page 108

ALASKA DISTRICT DELIVERS FACILITIES TO SUPPORT F-35A AIRCRAFT ARRIVAL

5min
pages 106-108, 128, 130

PACIFIC OCEAN DIVISION

4min
pages 104-105, 107, 114

SAN FRANCISCO DISTRICT BIOLOGISTS WORK TO PRESERVE ENDANGERED SALMON

3min
pages 13, 102-103

BUILDING AN URBAN RANGER PROGRAM

4min
pages 2, 4, 98-101, 138, 162

SACRAMENTO DISTRICT DELIVERS DESPITE COVID-19 CHALLENGES

4min
pages 96-98, 136

RAPID COVID-19 RESPONSE IN THE HIGH DESERT

5min
pages 93-95, 130, 138

SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION

2min
pages 92, 99

WALLA WALLA DISTRICT DEVELOPS FISH SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS IN THE NORTHWEST

3min
pages 90-91, 136

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Building Strong, Serving the Nation and the Armed Forces, 2020-2021

3min
pages 89-90, 114

SPEED KEY TO BONNEVILLE LOCK REPAIR

3min
page 88

RESPONSE, RESTORATION, RESEARCH: REBUILDING MISSOURI

7min
pages 24, 32, 84-87

OMAHA DISTRICT SIMPLIFIES ITS CONTRACTING PROGRAMS

3min
pages 20, 83-84

NGA WEST PROJECT MAKING PROGRESS DURING COVID-19 CRISIS

2min
pages 4, 81-82

NORTHWESTERN DIVISION RALLIES TO COMPLETE MASSIVE COVID ASSESSMENT EFFORT

4min
pages 56, 79-81, 116

NORTHWESTERN DIVISION

2min
pages 78, 85

CONSTRUCTION OF KC-46A CAMPUS AT TINKER REMAINS ON TASK DESPITE PANDEMIC

2min
pages 77, 128

FLOOD OF 2019 AFFECTS MKARNS NAVIGATION

1min
pages 76, 114

TULSA DISTRICT SUPPORTS OKLAHOMA COVID-19 RESPONSE

1min
pages 74-75

OZARK-JETA TAYLOR’S SLANT-AXIS TURBINE REHAB

5min
pages 2, 72-73

DISTRICT EMPLOYEES ENLISTED FOR COVID-19 MODELING TASK FORCE

2min
pages 70-71, 80

PROVIDING SITE EVALUATIONS FOR ALTERNATE CARE FACILITIES

2min
pages 38, 69-70, 163

SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION EXECUTES HURRICANE HARVEY SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM

4min
pages 2, 13, 67-68, 163

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECTS TO AFFECT NORTH CAROLINA FOR DECADES

3min
pages 63-65, 162

DMCAS: SAVANNAH’S SOLUTION FOR PLACING DREDGED MATERIAL

3min
pages 14, 62-63

SAVANNAH HARBOR DEEPENING

3min
pages 6, 59-61

MOBILE DISTRICT NEARS COMPLETION OF SHIP ISLAND

3min
pages 8, 57-59

ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION FOUNDATION PROJECTS BRING WATER TO EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

3min
pages 55-57

PENINSULA STUDY DRAWS SWEEPING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

2min
pages 53-54, 116

SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION

1min
pages 52, 58

VICKSBURG DISTRICT EMPLOYEE RECEIVES NATIONAL ENGINEERING AWARD

2min
pages 51, 86

USACE, SAMARITAN’S PURSE GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP STORM SURVIVOR

4min
pages 49-50, 128, 130

DISTRICT CONVERTS HOTEL INTO HOSPITAL WITHIN DAYS OF REQUEST

4min
pages 46-48, 80, 136

ROCK ISLAND DISTRICT SUPPORTS DERECHO RECOVERY EFFORTS ACROSS IOWA

2min
pages 44-45, 138

CONSTRUCTION REACHES NEW HEIGHTS ON RED RIVER OF THE NORTH PROJECT

3min
pages 42-43, 114

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DIVISION

4min
pages 40-41, 46

WORKING AS ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL IN A COVID-19 ERA

3min
pages 37-39

NASHVILLE DISTRICT RESPONDS TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

2min
pages 36-37

TEAM EFFORT MAKES WAUGOSHANCE POINT TARGET PROJECT A SUCCESS

3min
pages 35-36

BLUESTONE DAM: THE FINAL PHASE

2min
page 34

DETROIT DISTRICT RAPIDLY RESPONDS TO MICHIGAN’S CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

2min
pages 31, 33

CHICAGO DISTRICT CIVIL WORKS REALIGNMENT

1min
pages 31-32

CHICAGO DISTRICT’S “OPERATION ENDURING HEALTH”

4min
pages 29-30

THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE

3min
pages 27-28

GREAT LAKES AND OHIO RIVER DIVISION

4min
pages 26-27

DISTRICT’S BRIDGE INSPECTION AND EVALUATION TEAM REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

3min
pages 23, 25, 160

FROM THE MID-ATLANTIC TO CANADA, FORESTERS MANAGE UNIQUE ARMY PROGRAM

3min
pages 21-24

NEW YORK DISTRICT CONSTRUCTS “STEAM” TEACHING SCHOOL

2min
pages 19-21

DESPITE COVID-19, USACE HITS 10-MILLION MILESTONE IN BOSTON HARBOR

3min
pages 8, 18-19

USACE HELPS OPEN CENTER FOR WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE IN REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

2min
pages 17, 163

DISTRICT’S RADIOLOGICAL TEAM PROVIDES EXPERTISE THROUGHOUT USACE AND BEYOND

5min
pages 6, 15-16, 162

USACE PROVIDES A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO ADDRESS THE COMPLEX COVID-19 PROBLEM

4min
pages 2, 4, 11-12, 14, 162

NORTH ATLANTIC DIVISION

1min
pages 3, 10, 12-13
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