https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Co-op Solutions


Article

Pets get fast heat relief at New Jersey shelter

Pets get fast heat relief at New Jersey shelter

When the air conditioning broke down at an Ocean City, N.J., animal shelter this past July, a U.S. Communities cooperative agreement helped expedite installation of rented A/C units so a variety of stray pets stayed comfortable.
  • Written by Michael Keating
  • 15th November 2017

When the air conditioning broke down at an Ocean City, N.J., animal shelter this past July, a U.S. Communities cooperative agreement helped expedite installation of rented A/C units so a variety of stray pets stayed comfortable. As many as 30 dogs and 40 cats are housed at the Humane Society of Ocean City’s shelter; those pets kept their cool thanks to Herc Rentals’ speedy installation of two 5-ton industrial air conditioning temporary units under a U.S. Communities cooperative contract.

“Shelter management called, and the company responded within about three hours to the site. We assessed what was needed to complete the job, and Herc started installation as soon as we got approval. The temporary equipment was installed in a matter of days,” says Wade Miller, a Herc Rentals Pro Solutions branch manager.

When the shelter’s air conditioning broke down, Ocean City officials sought a temporary solution, says Joseph Clark, Ocean City’s purchasing manager. “After discussing the situation with Herc, they offered to deliver onsite a self-contained power generation system as well as a unit that could supply both heat and cool air to the required building.”

The rental from Herc enabled the city to map out a permanent solution, Clark says. “This temporary fix permitted the city to take the necessary time to properly address the issues at hand and to also put the required funds in place in our Capital Plan.” 

The rental gear that the firm supplied to the shelter included a 20-kilowatt generator that was fitted with a 500-gallon fuel tank, so that it will run for almost two weeks before refueling. Putting the Tier 4 rental generator into operation enabled shelter administrators to keep utility fees and charges to a minimum.

Without the rental unit, the shelter would have needed the local power company to come out to the shelter and run a new temporary power service/emergency hookup that would have been an expensive additional charge, Miller tells GPN. The generator features a low-emission design and operation that helps preserve the environment, Miller adds.

The temporary chiller units quickly convert from generating cool air to heated air in cold weather. “All we had to do was switch the ductwork out to a heater duct for cold-weather operation,” Miller says. The units have already been converted over to heat for the winter.

At this point, the rental units are still onsite and will probably stay there into the middle of next year, Clark tells GPN. “We subsequently hired an engineer to assess the building’s needs and to redesign a new system which will go out for public bid.” He believes the city made a prudent decision in a challenging situation. “Overall, this scenario made the most sense dollar-wise for the taxpayer and permitted us to literally take the heat off of the building and to properly go through the procurement process to make the required upgrades to the building.”

Having an available cooperative agreement was key, Clark adds. “Being able to tap into this U.S. Communities contract on a moment’s notice allowed us to elevate a very unfortunate situation that existed in one of our buildings, while at the same time afforded us the needed time to make the long-term fix.”

Using cooperative agreements makes sense for urgent and emergency purchases, Miller says. “With capital spending being reduced in many organizations’ budgets, a rental opportunity is more attainable and doable in most cases because organizations can use their free cash flow to do whatever is needed to pay the expenses of an emergency.” He adds, “Whenever there’s an emergency need, an equipment rental may be able to provide an immediate solution.”

The cooperative contract, Miller adds, provides clear pricing and rental rate information, and is suitable for urgent buys. “It [the cooperative agreement] is a much quicker solution for governments’ emergency issues at hand.”

Herc Rentals has a network of 260 locations covering the U.S. and Canada. The firm’s robust service organization and infrastructure can play a key role in an emergency, Miller says. “It [the network] gives us a very large selection of equipment plus the expertise of different technicians and different mindsets when looking at solving the problem and finding a solution that is needed at that crucial time.”

Prepare well in advance of an emergency is what Miller advises executives at every organization. “It’s good for governments and other organizations to try to get ahead of emergencies. Getting an account set up in advance with firms that carry equipment and supplies needed in an emergency is key. Some of these firms have an abundance of equipment, and planning ahead ensures they’ll be able to meet your requirements when needed.”

Miller says he frequently talks to government buyers about planning in advance for potential hurricanes, blizzards and other catastrophes, as well as general snow removal. “As we try to plan ahead, it’s really not preventive maintenance for these governments — it’s predictive maintenance. That way we can have a strategy already in play to help governments recover quickly after an emergency.”

Advance planning can involve consultations with firms like Herc Rentals, Miller says. “Governments can get ahead of those emergency events and do a forecast that’ll help their budgeting and spending for future years. It can be a great way to help the agency spend tax dollars wisely.”

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County and the GPN web site. Contact: [email protected]

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on Youtube

Tags: Cooperative Purchasing Expert Insights Procurement Public Safety Public Works & Utilities Co-op Solutions Article

Most Recent


  • When spending federal stimulus dollars, local governments are considering long-term, community impact
    From staffing constraints to budget shortfalls and an unprecedented pivot into the digital realm (driven by the pandemic), local governments have confronted myriad challenges over the last few years. But in this, there’s a bright spot: The federal government is investing an unprecedented amount of money into local governments. “The covid pandemic shuffled the deck […]
  • Reno, NV
    In Nevada county, data underpins efforts to address climate change
    Across the United States, cities and counties are doing their best to confront climate change in myriad ways—from bolstering seawalls to updating electrical grids and everything in between. But in order for communities to best direct their efforts and responsibly spend hard-earned taxpayer dollars, administrators need data. In Washoe County and Reno, Nev., for example, […]
  • How capital improvement project prioritization helps secure infrastructure funding
    Trillions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding have been made available to state and local governments across the U.S. since early 2020. This money has been allocated to address the nation’s aging infrastructure, much of which is at or near the end of its useful life, and to bolster the U.S. economy in the wake […]
  • Climate bill lauded; predicted to reduce nation's carbon footprint by 40% within decade
    Amid yet another punishing heat wave, the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, which was approved along party lines Sunday by the Senate, represents a historic step in the nation’s fight against climate change by drastically reducing its climate footprint—while injecting billions of dollars into cities and counties. Along with provisions that cap prescription drug costs for […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • A call to action: Moving procurement past its pre-pandemic mindset
  • Making deals: Cooperative agreements can help governments achieve supplier diversity goals
  • Procurement methods go to the head of the class in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
  • Deltek releases 12th annual Clarity Government Contracting Report

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

When spending federal stimulus dollars, local governments should consider long-term, community impact dlvr.it/SWXJWZ

12th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

In Nevada county, data underpins efforts to address climate change dlvr.it/SWTGHy

11th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

$52B semiconductor investment intended to rejuvenate American manufacturing dlvr.it/SWPqHQ

10th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

How capital improvement project prioritization helps secure infrastructure funding dlvr.it/SWLQB7

9th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Climate bill lauded; predicted to reduce nation’s carbon foot print by 40% within decade dlvr.it/SWHGQL

8th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Partnership launches no-cost wastewater monitoring service for local governments dlvr.it/SW7N74

5th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

Investing in America’s onsite wastewater treatment systems for equity and sustainability dlvr.it/SW4Mb9

4th August 2022
AmerCityCounty

With passage of PACT Act, veterans service officers are preparing for an influx in applicants dlvr.it/SW4KTg

4th August 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X