THE CHALLENGE When Hurricane Sandy hit New Y ork City in 2012, the severity of the storm tested the city’s critical infrastructure, including many area hospitals. Located near the East River, literally right over water, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) was especially vulnerable. “Just after the storm, our basement area was only a few feet away from the river coming into the hospital, ” said Jason Vanrell, director of technical operations for HSS. This was cause for great concern: The basement housed the hospital’s communication headquarters, including the operator bank and the building alarm system. Keeping these operational at all times was essential to support staff’s ability to coordinate patient care and maintain safety for everyone in the facility. “There was a single alarm

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