ST. LOUIS – As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to weigh on the businesses and residents, Electrical Connection members are innovating to serve community needs.  And their innovations and past work are heavily relied on in these challenging times in other ways. The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1 and members of the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)

NECA contractor Guarantee Electrical Co. has collaborated with Cocoon Revolution by Thermasi LLC. to provide a portable high temperature sterilization system. The Cocoon industrial size vault will be utilized to sterilize Guarantee’s tools returning from projects, especially healthcare projects. In addition to heating chambers, the Thermal Mass furnaces that provide the high temperature could also be utilized to create high temperature sterilization rooms inside buildings, such as, hospitals.

Meanwhile, Guarantee and IBEW were part of the team that converted the Quality Inn on Dunn Road in North St. Louis County into a facility to serve Covid-19 patients. Electrical modifications consisted of temporary power and lighting, testing and replacing electrical devices not functioning properly, modifying in-room phone systems, and coordinating power with mechanical system modifications needed to ensure patient rooms have properly function air handling to assure negative air pressure. Guarantee and IBEW had previously powered Covid-19 testing and triage tents for Mercy and St. Luke’s hospitals.

The reliability of NECA contractor PayneCrest Electric, Inc. and its IBEW workforce is also on full display as the healthcare industry relies more and more on telemedicine. It powered the first-of-its-kind Mercy Virtual Care Center which features 75 telemedicine programs staffed by 300 medical professionals.  The four-story, technology-intense facility connects physicians with patients and other doctors 24/7 across the globe with advanced audio/visual systems.

Meanwhile, PayneCrest and its service team is adapting to business needs by carefully resequencing work to save businesses time and money on maintenance while their buildings are idled and largely vacant by the pandemic. By diligently following CDC guidelines and managing the safety of its IBEW workforce, Paynecrest is providing needed electrical services in buildings with minimal occupancy. Its strategic re-sequencing of work efficiently and effectively completes projects safely that might have otherwise been delayed.

Finally, NECA contractor Primary Systems and its IBEW workforce have teamed to help hospitals particularly in the area infection control.  That includes Primary Systems’ clean air passive technology.

The Electrical Connection represents more than 5,000 highly skilled and safe IBEW electricians and the more than 150 NECA electrical contractors who employ them.  For more than 75 years, the IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection partnership has trained more electricians/communication technicians than any education program in Missouri. Its award winning work provides safe and reliable electrical construction, maintenance, repair and replacement services across Missouri, the nation and the world. Learn more at www.electricalconnection.org.