When Disaster Strikes: the HVAC Contingency Plan

How important is temporary heating and cooling in emergency situations? Mission critical! When natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, fires, floods, and hurricanes cause severe damage to local infrastructure, essential life-saving services can be lost; care-giving centers rendered impotent. Sanitary facilities, communication centers, emergency food distribution services, temporary shelters, and more require heating and/or cooling, plus proper ventilation and clean water. Since a severe natural disaster can often destroy a facility's existing HVAC and plumbing systems, it's important for facility managers and owners to have already invested in an emergency preparedness program that provides for immediate use of temporary equipment. As an engineer or facility manager, have you considered investing in an HVAC contingency plan? Is such a plan is only worth the associated costs if you operate in a disaster prone area?