The end of the year always brings a time of reflection, and 2024 is no different. Between once in a lifetime weather events, serious recalls, shifting industry standards, the rapid implementation of artificial intelligence, the editors of FacilitiesNet always had something to write about. Saying goodbye to this year will be easy, but there are some articles that are harder to leave behind.
The FacilitiesNet rounded up their favorite articles of the year, ranging from topics that are currently impacting the industry. These articles offer insights and information to help managers progress throughout the course of the year and give managers a heads up on what’s to come in the new year.
'Legionella Is Flourishing': GSA Confronts Deadly Bacteria
Article Insight: Earlier this year Legionella was detected in several federal buildings managed by the General Services Administration, prompting closures of water sources and calls for temporary work. This article details how the GSA is implementing stricter water quality management practices and how it plans to tackle outbreaks in high-profile locations.
Why Dan recommends: Legionnaire's disease is a silent threat to occupants and staff in all types of institutional and commercial facilities, and the blunt admission by a federal official overseeing millions of square feet in facilities is a reminder to all managers that the threat is not going anywhere and is, in fact, growing.
Article Insight: In his editorial for the September issue of Facilities Maintenance Decision, Dan explores the evolving titles and department names of facilities professionals.
Why Dan recommends: As maintenance and engineering departments in institutional facilities struggle more than ever for adequate funds to carry out their mission, it's time managers understand that accurately communicating the critical role their departments play in an organization's mission often starts with a department name and description that reflect that role.
Renovations Bring New Life to Cook County Hospital
Article Insight: A historic Chicago landmark got a new life as the Cook County Hospital was transformed into two hotels, daycare center, medical offices and a museum. In this article, executive editor Dave Lubach details all that went into the $140 million restoration project.
Why Dan recommends: As more institutional and commercial organizations opt to tear down aging facilities in favor of shiny new buildings, owners of the former Cook County Hospital opted instead to restore the facility, preserve its many of its historic features and extend its performance life well into the future.
Boston Public Schools Guided by Facility Condition Assessment
Article Insight: Teresa Neff-Webster sat down with Building Operating Management to go over her journey of being a kindergarten teacher to becoming the interim COO of Boston Public Schools.
Why Dave recommends: Teresa had a diverse background in the industry and worked her way into a high-profile role through her dedication and hard work
Renovations Bring New Life to Cook County Hospital
Article Insight: In part two to the Cook County Hospital story, Dave continues to describe how the former hospital overcame challenges during the renovation project.
Why Dave recommends: I got a behind-the-scenes look at the hospital through a tour and saw areas that were not renovated and were not touched since it was a famed hospital. The contrasts were stark.
Leo Bobadilla Establishes Team-First Culture at Junior College
Article Insight: Leobardo Bobadilla has had quite the career in facilities. In this article, Bobadilla sits down with Dave to discuss how he leads a collaborative team that is dedicated to tackling challenges, driving improvements and creating a culture of care for staff and students alike.
Why Dave recommends: Leo was one of the more selfless yet successful people I interviewed this year. Like all of the FMs I have profiled, he took great joy in what he does and how it impacts the students on his campus.
Augusta Community Embraces NFPA 3000/ASHER Program
Article Insight: Augusta, Georgia became the first city to implement the NFPA 3000 Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response program, an initiative uniting emergency responders, educators and businesses in preparation for mass casualty events. The article details how the city is setting a national example with its commitment to unified planning, training and response to keeping its community safe.
Why Mackenna recommends: Active shooter situations are becoming far too commonplace, unfortunately. Dave wrote a great article on how this community is banding together to prevent gun violence by following the NFPA 3000 standard. I hope more cities continue to follow suit.
Women in FM: What Does Maternity Leave Look Like?
Article Insight: Navigating maternity leave can be a stressful experience for expecting mothers. However, employers can ensure maternity leave is viewed as a temporary interlude rather than a disruption by empowering women to balance family and career without penalty.
Why Mackenna recommends: When I wrote this article, I was seven months pregnant, so the topic was already at the top of my mind. Little did I know that the same week that this was published, I would have to give birth six weeks early, so knowing how maternity leave worked for my company, but also for other women in other industries, took away a lot of the stress I felt in that moment.
Article Insight: Proactive fire prevention measures are essential for facilities management. By identifying common fire risks and following best practices from experts, facility managers can safeguard lives and property while mitigating fire-related losses.
Why Mackenna recommends: I don’t know about anyone else, but fires really scare me. I feel like I am overtly cautious at this point. Contributing writer Amy Wunderlin wrote a really great article that drills down the most common fire hazards and how to prevent them.
The Role of Facilities Managers in Active Shooter Scenarios
Video Insight: In this video, Facilities Net interviews Glenn Norling, executive director of the community of experts at the Active Shooter Prevention Project, discusses what facilities managers can do to prepare their occupants for active shooters and how they can prevent such situations.
Why Jeff recommends: This one was a tough topic to cover, but it's critical to get this kind of information out to facilities management so they can help prevent these crises.
Renovation Needs for Life Sciences Facilities
Article Insight: Converting existing facilities into new spaces requires addresses unique challenges. This article details how thoughtful planning can ensure how the space will support advanced operations and make facilities more functional and attractive to future tenants.
Why Jeff recommends: This story was interesting to cover due to the project itself being pretty unique and well-situated with its location.
Building Energy Resiliency into Valley Children's Healthcare
Article Insight: In this video, Todd Suntrapak, CEO of Valley Children's Healthcare, about the benefits of the microgrid, which will be online in 2025. Once finished, it will be the largest pediatric healthcare-based renewable energy microgrid in the country.
Why Jeff recommends: I enjoyed working on this piece since it allowed me to experiment with a new video format for FacilitiesNet. Plus, the project was just really fascinating to me.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of the facilities market.
