The REVOLUTION Project continues to be built by the prayers, connections, and generosity of SRI supporters. It has been incredible to see so many come together to make the vision of this new facility finally become a reality. God has used people in some very unique ways to cover the many details of this project and it’s both fascinating and encouraging to hear the stories. Below is an interview with Zachary Erb, Assistant Project Manager at Moore’s Electrical and Mechanical. Zachary first served with SRI on a week-long mission trip following his completion of Graduate school in 2018. Little did he know, God was about to use his future career and connections to meet a major project need that had no solid solution.
(Zachary on the REVOLUTION worksite holding a tarantula)
How did you connect Moore’s Electric with SRI?
As soon as I went the first time, I had aspirations of continuing to return to San Juan and help in any capacity that I could. I began work with Moore’s Electric almost immediately following my return from my first trip in 2018. I have been afforded a lot of opportunity with Moore’s, and as my role within the company continued to grow and develop, I could not help but think back to my trip to the DR, and how what I had seen and experienced changed me and helped me to grow both in my walk with Jesus Christ and as a man.
One day, in speaking with my mother, she brought up how she and my dad were planning on traveling with Rick and Lori (Yoder) once again. This peaked my interest. I then reached out to Lori to be put in contact with the PM of the clinic, Ken Potter. Ken and I then had a dialogue about the most pressing concerns in the effort to complete the construction of the clinic. He identified the medical gas system as being one of the most daunting tasks left to figure out due to the super specialized nature of the work, as well as the qualifications needed to complete the work in a fashion that would be safe for patients to be supported by the system. Luckily, Moore’s is a very qualified contractor, and we install med gas systems here in the United States very often. From here, I compiled a scope letter and proposal for the leadership of my company to review, and they without hesitation showed their support for what was to come.
What is Moore’s Electric’s history/involvement supporting Christian organizations?
Moore’s is a company rooted in Christian ideals and morals. Every year we donate time and tithe on earnings to causes and efforts that a group of leadership takes time investigating, praying about, and ultimately deciding if the effort is right for what we feel we will be able to offer. Historically these efforts have taken shape in the United States in the form of disaster relief, completion of construction projects of all types, and other donations whether monetary, giving of time, or ways.
Partnering with SRI for this portion of the REVOLUTION Project is new territory for Moore’s, but we are excited at the difference our efforts will make in the lives of those living in the San Juan de la Maguana, as well as the differences in those men who will be in-country helping with the project.
What is Moore’s Electric specifically doing for the REVOLUTION Project?
Moore’s Electrical and Mechanical will be installing the three-med gas system within the clinic. If any medical professionals are reading this entry, you all know the importance of having a reliable med gas system in general care, and the huge importance of this system when it comes to the operating theaters. We designed this system to be compliant with NFPA99 (the US standard), which is well and above the Dominican Standard for a system such as this. The system in totality will have around 7,000 linear feet of pipe, 9 zone valve boxes, 4 area alarm boxes, an oilless claw vacuum pump, and all the other components that are necessary for a safe system for the patients and medical professionals who will be utilizing the system.
While SRI was in charge of purchasing the materials for the system, I would like to thank the vendors Powerex, Ferguson, and NEFCO. These vendors either donated or sold at below-cost levels in order to help us come in under budget on the monies SRI had set aside for this system. Moore’s piece in this undertaking, aside from system design, will be the transportation and donation of labor for prefabrication and installation in the clinic. Estimates show this to be around a 3500 hour duration in totality.
As it stands (on 1/21/2020), the container full of prefabricated material and raw material will be picked up on 01/22/2020, and will sail for the DR on 1/27/2020. Following the transportation, we are praying for a short duration in the Dominican Port, which we think will be achieved through attention to detail and preplanning by our importer, Salvador Hernandez. Sal’s help and communication with Dr. Nolasco and Sra. Suero have been very important in streamlining our efforts through this process. Once the container clears the port, my foreman, Whitney Wigglesworth, and I will arrive onsite to view the materials and components. After a brief turnaround, we will be back with 10 more men in addition to ourselves, and the construction will begin.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Please pray for the men who will be traveling with me internationally to complete this project. Many of the men have not traveled internationally prior to this endeavor, and I want it to go as smoothly as possible. These men are going to be doing God’s work in San Juan, and I hope that they will be able to come into the experience with an open heart and an open mind. Also, pray for me. I have not been a manager long, and at every turn I find challenges, especially involving this task. It is everything I could have asked for, and it truly is something that makes me so joyful, but at the same time, I wonder with every decision I make, if I am making the correct one, so my efforts will be successful.
Summary from Project Manager, Ken Potter
Moore’s Electric and Mechanical has taken on our medical gases system and is helping from system design through full installation and testing. The clinic will have 58 stations where oxygen, medical air, and vacuum will be available for patient care. This system will be fully piped from the gas storage / vacuum pump rooms so we will not need five foot tanks sitting by patient beds or in procedure areas. Moore’s called in favors to many of their supplies and asked for reduced costs on materials and equipment. This results in SRI being able to purchase these items at or below cost and saving the project a significant amount of money.
Along with a true system design, Moore’s will be providing (at the company’s expense) the labor to install this gas system in the entire clinic. It is estimated that they will be sending 12 employees down to San Juan for a two week time period to do the initial installation. This requires specialized copper pipe and brazed joints which are cleaner than soldering and is how systems are currently being installed in US hospitals. All proper manifolds and alarms will be installed along with a large vacuum pump to provide efficient vacuum. A followup team of four to six will then return a few weeks later, complete the fine details of the installation, get the system up and running, and then get it tested to current US standards.
In October and November they fabricated many sub-assemblies in their Altavista, Virginia shop. These were then loaded into a shipping container along with tools and ladders, the vacuum pump, copper pipe and other materials that will be used for the installation of the system. The container is now on it’s way to San Juan, once it clears customs and arrives in San Juan we will schedule their trip.
Along with the gas system, Moore’s has helped acquire low cost pricing on plumbing and air conditioning systems as well as offer contacts for epoxy paints and other specialty materials. Zac and Whitney even helped install the first of our five roof covers during their exploratory trip in September! We are incredibly grateful for their involvement in the project!
Fundraising Updates
We continue to feel extremely blessed by all who have contributed so far to make this project a reality. Please see the most current numbers below as of 1/31/20:
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