As I am writing this column on September 24, less than two weeks after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I am compelled to address that all-consuming topic. So, you ask, what could commissioning have to do with those horrific events? Well, our firm is the commissioning specialist for the Pentagon Renovation Program, and we have seen firsthand the benefits of commissioning at that facility.
However, I quickly reminded myself that it was not the commissioning specialist firm alone that made these systems work- it was the entire design, construction, and facilities operations team whom we led through the commissioning process. Just as in any great and complicated endeavor, it was necessary for all parties (and there are certainly a lot of interested and responsible parties) to pull together and strive for the same goal.