The financial impact of hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the suffering they caused could have been reduced if commercial, institutional and industrial buildings, such as hospitals, schools and government complexes, had cooling contingency plans. As businesses throughout the southeast United States get ready for the start of another hurricane season on June 1, they now can consider a cooling contingency plan available from Trane.

Trane's comprehensive cooling contingency plan program helps owners identify potential sources of cooling system failure and creates plans for each failure scenario. "Crafting a contingency plan in case of fire or electrical outage is critical to ensure occupant safety during emergencies," said Carl Shedivy, Trane's cooling contingency services leader. "Businesses and building owners often overlook planning for a cooling outage, even though failure to address the issue could be dangerous and costly." One hospital in New Orleans estimates it could have saved up to $28 million in repair costs if it had prepared an emergency cooling plan in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina.

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