Blogs

After hours, most buildings quietly change personalities. Occupied service gives way to stewardship. But when a night goes sideways, it’s rarely because the technology failed. More often, it’s because no one was quite sure who owned what, what was supposed to happen next, or how that knowledge was passed along. Failures don’t usually come from chaos—they come from missing context.

DJ Johnson retired in March 2021 after a distinguished career as CFO of a major hospital system. He described his retirement as exactly what he envisioned: living abroad, learning a new language, experiencing different cultures, and embracing a lifestyle far removed from the boardrooms and spreadsheets of his professional life. Johnson now lives in La Paz, Mexico, where he balances cultural exploration with his passion for touring motorcycles.

Some careers stay linear. Others come together through chance, hard work, and a curiosity that sees stories hiding inside floor plans.

Every facilities team deals with them: hot offices, cold classrooms, temperature complaints that show up in the work order queue every day. On the surface, hot/cold calls look like comfort issues. But in reality, they’re early-warning indicators that something deeper is happening inside your HVAC ecosystem—especially in your air handlers.

Facility managers juggle constant pressure, unpredictable failures, and competing priorities—often with limited resources and little room for error. FM Operations Director Trenton Patterson shared some of the stressors, surprises, and strategies that define modern FM work and what it really takes to stay resilient.

When disaster strikes—whether it’s a fire, severe weather event, or a threat within your facility—every second counts. Our ability to respond rapidly and efficiently can mean the difference between a crisis being managed and a crisis becoming catastrophic. In this age of technology, emergency response software is transforming how our teams react, collaborate, and secure our spaces.

Facility management is evolving rapidly, driven by technological advancement, sustainable demands, and the need for operational efficiency.

The world of work is transforming before our eyes, and nowhere is that more evident than in how we approach safety procedures management. At ARC Facilities, we know that keeping our people and properties protected isn’t just a regulatory checkbox—it’s a commitment to our teams, communities, and the health of our business. 

It only takes seconds for an unexpected crisis to disrupt business operations. Whether it’s a natural disaster, workplace accident, or cyber incident, the difference between chaos and control lies in our ability to respond quickly and confidently.

For healthcare facilities managers, understanding the difference between disaster response and emergency management is essential to keeping their teams and patients safe.