What We Do
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A Two-Month Progress Report:
IAP's Base Operations Support Contract
at The Walter Reed Army Medical Center
February 4, 2007 – April 4, 2007
IAP Worldwide Services, Inc. began work on Feb. 4, 2007 as the Base Operations Support Contractor at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). During the first two months on this contract, IAP personnel have performed a wide variety of jobs – ranging from maintaining living quarters to emergency repairs of critical systems such as boiler/chiller plants.
IAP inherited a backlog of about 250 service orders on the first day of its contract. Since then, IAP personnel in the first two months have completed more than 1,000 service orders as part of an Army-led effort to improve every aspect of the base operations.
Under the contract, IAP provides a variety of base operations support services at the primary WRAMC Garrison complex in Washington, D.C., as well as the WRAMC Forest Glen and Glen Haven annexes. These services include logistics; military personnel support; garrison support; safety and environmental support; transportation; and facility maintenance.
Beginning from its first day on Feb. 4, IAP had 290 personnel working at WRAMC despite erroneous reports that IAP had only 50 personnel. Of the 290 personnel on the first day, 100 were assigned to facility maintenance work.
On April 4, 2007, at the two-month mark, a total IAP team of 323 personnel were on the job. This includes 200 IAP staff along with personnel from three subcontractor teammates: Aiken Global (garrison safety and environmental) 13; SERCO (military personnel services) 29; and Eagle Group (medical logistics support) 81.
Repairs and Maintenance at Soldiers Living Quarters
IAP personnel have responded aggressively to maintenance and repair requests at Soldier/Family quarters, performing services throughout each building and individual rooms. As typical examples, IAP personnel:
Repaired heating, HVAC, electrical, and hot water systems in buildings.
Removed a heat pump system that went down two days prior to cancer patients moving into a building. IAP staff fixed the system in less than 24 hours, in time for patients to move on schedule.
Installed bathroom exhaust fans and painted rooms occupied by soldiers.
Completed electrical and cable connections to support television and Internet service in a hotel-like dormitory for soldiers.
Installed smoke detectors and conducted minor renovations to a childcare center, enabling the facility to pass inspection.
Cleaned Abrams Hall to support of soldiers who were moving in from Building 18. The Army requested IAP to clean Abrams at 5 p.m. on a Saturday night. IAP cleaned 49 rooms on Sunday, and then helped move wounded warriors into Abrams Hall.
A weekly WRAMC newsletter quoted Maj. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, Commanding General of WRAMC, as describing IAP's efforts this way in its April 9 edition:
"In support of the Garrison, IAP, the base-ops contractor, established new 'Do-It-Now' teams and are providing a dedicated and streamlined response capability to high-priority service orders.
"This team, focused on Soldiers and Soldier Family living quarters, is dedicated to reacting to maintenance or repair requests as quickly as possible. The team includes a dedicated cadre of qualified technicians including: electricians, plumbers and painters.
"So far 'Do-It-Now' teams have performed a variety of jobs at Soldier/Family quarters, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and preventive maintenance work on critical and auxiliary systems."
Short-term Response at Building 18 Before it was Vacated
After an article appeared in The Washington Post on Feb. 18 that focused on conditions in Building 18, IAP dedicated a special team that focused on immediate improvements and correction of long-standing concerns. Before Building 18 was vacated to conduct major renovations and repair to its roof, IAP had coordinated a short-term response to correct maintenance deficiencies. IAP personnel:
Removed mold in a number of rooms.
Patched and painted several walls.
Repaired plumbing and electrical systems and an elevator.
Installed alarm and security systems.
Transportation of Soldiers
IAP provides transportation for soldiers inside and outside the complex of 219 buildings, structures and facilities. IAP's transportation team, which has not turned down any mission requests since Feb. 4, has augmented bus drivers with Commercial Driver's License (CDL) qualified dispatchers. IAP in its first two months:
Transported soldiers on more than 34 trips to the White House, museums, Washington Wizards basketball games and other events.
Conducted more than 43 air evacuation missions that transported wounded warriors from Andrews Air Force Base to Walter Reed.
Moved outpatient soldiers from barracks into nearby apartment complexes.
Addressing Inherited Maintenance and Repair Issues
When IAP began work on Feb. 4, 2007, the need for serious maintenance and repairs at Walter Reed was evident. Walter Reed is an aged facility with systems, pipes, steam valves and heat pumps that, in many cases, needed repair and maintenance before IAP began work. In the first two months IAP has:
Repaired major steam lines in a boiler plant that provides steam for the main Walter Reed hospital, an essential service supporting patient care and surgical operations.
Corrected the operational readiness of a temporary boiler, increasing its output to a 70 percent capability from less than 10 percent.
Repaired four chilled service lines that are critical to air conditioning, and two water main breaks.
Established boiler/chiller plant readiness improvement plans that included identification of deficiencies and repairs incident to maintenance.
Environmental, Safety and Health
As the Base Operations Support Contractor, IAP's responsibilities include the storage of chemicals, supervising indoor air quality measures, passing environmental inspections, responding to safety concerns and handling hazardous waste. IAP has:
Initiated a process to assure that all stored chemicals are properly organized, categorized or disposed of as part of an effort to organize shop and common areas.
Established a process to determine any potential environmental and health issues at WRAMC. The process includes establishing indoor air quality baselines for mold, fungi, volatile organic compounds and asbestos.
Warehousing and Delivering Supplies
Under the contract, IAP manages a supply warehouse and distribution branch that handles the logistics for items needed in patient care and general WRAMC activities. The team's duties include supervising the warehousing and delivery of medicines, medical equipment and non-medical items. This responsibility encompasses two warehouses at the Walter Reed complex and one at Forest Glen, approximately five miles east of Walter Reed. IAP since February 4 has:
Trained and licensed staff in a variety of areas, such as handling Temperature Sensitive Medical Products and the proper handling of gas cylinders.
Initiated a survey to review and evaluate customer service.
Provided uninterrupted supply to Doctors and Medical staff to ensure the soldiers were receiving timely care and treatment.
Other Areas
Communication and Electronics. To track the status of open and completed work orders, IAP created a system based on Excel spreadsheets until a more sophisticated automated tracking system based on MAXIMO is installed. This shop also handles the maintenance and repair of the Nurse Call and Intrusion Detection Systems.
Military Personnel Office. To support military personnel processes, IAP has identified processes that are obsolete or need to be updated. As part of that effort, IAP reviewed all personnel file folders, replaced missing file folders. IAP has also integrated a customer satisfaction program and continues to strive for continual improvement to better serve our soldiers and their families.
Facility assessment. Since its first day under the Base Ops contract, IAP has focused efforts on readiness improvements on critical WRAMC facility systems, such as the boiler/chiller plant and steam leaks. IAP's facility assessment is an ongoing activity. When problems are discovered during the course of normal equipment operation or preventative maintenance, IAP is documenting those issues, developing a solution, and then bringing the plan to the Army's attention.
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