This year's extremely active flu season has caused a surge in patient loads at medical facilities across the United States. Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia has responded to the need for additional capacity by calling in the Carolinas Med-1 Mobile Emergency Room. This self-contained facility includes a 53 ft ER trailer with a custom boot that allows it to be complexed with Western Shelters.
How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Shipping Container
Shipping containers are classified into different categories depending on their condition and size; therefore, they also have different prices. The cost of shipping containers can also fluctuate based on market conditions from time to time. Nonetheless, customers want to understand, and with good reason, what factors influence these costs.
The pricing of commodities dramatically influences the costs of containers. Let's take a closer look at a few of them.
Raw Materials
The primary material used to manufacture shipping containers is CORTEN steel. This type of steel provides containers with their anti-rust properties and durability. Therefore, fluctuations in the price of steel as a commodity will ultimately affect how new and used containers sell in the world market. As steel has never been as expensive as it is today, it is, accordingly, a significant factor in the increase in the price of shipping containers today.
Now that we've established that the price of commodities can influence the cost of shipping containers, let's see how the currency price also comes into play.
Price Value in USD
The price of commodities is fixed in the world market at USD rate. As containers are bought globally in USD and sold locally in other countries, pricing will be heavily influenced by the relative strength of the USD against other currencies.
Since the currency has fluctuated widely over the past 18 months, this has significantly impacted the local container price.
Once steel and the USD are taken into account, another major influence on the price of containers is that of global supply and demand.
Supply and Demand
Many customers mistakenly believe that shipping containers are over-stocked globally. In 2016, there was a shortage of containers in the market as shipping companies did not invest in new fleets and were content to use the stock they already had. This has resulted in a shortage of used containers available for sale in local markets. As the demand for the equipment is high and the supply insufficient, prices go up.
These factors can strongly influence the container market and be the main reason for the increase and/or decrease in their price from month to month. However, there are also microeconomic factors that may come into play in this regard.
Size and Condition
Naturally, a new shipping container costs more than a used one. In addition, larger and more specialized containers such as reefers and drop-platform containers are manufactured in specialized facilities and smaller quantities, which contributes to increasing the cost.
Delivery
A significant portion of the cost of any container is attributable to its transportation to your location. Many of our customers are far from our facilities, and most of them do not have forklifts or a container cart or crane to unload them. This means that we have to use specialized flatbed trucks to transport and unload the containers on the scene.
Are Shipping Containers Worth The Cost?
While purchasing a shipping container may seem like an expense to some, it is actually a rather affordable investment. These containers are constructed in such a way that they can easily be restored, renovated, and transformed into useful applications. They can even be transferred and stacked on-site without having to worry about the weight or space of their original shipping containers. Knowing that you can use your shipping container with so many advantages, you are essentially saving yourself on the burdensome costs comparing to building structures from scratch.
Would you like to know more about your options in shipping container shelter applications? Visit us today and contact our team of custom-made shelter specialists!
Medical Tents: When Are They Needed and What Are Their Uses?
The functions of medical tents are highly beneficial for trained and specializing professionals providing treatment for people with illness, injury, or disease, especially during disasters, emergencies, and extremely alarming medical situations.
Medical tents offer a convenient solution to enable healthcare professionals to administer standardized medical procedures when there is a high demand for patient treatment in various areas requiring mobilized and temporary medical equipment. They can serve as an emergency hospital, triage center, vaccination center, emergency treatment center, temporary shelter or warehouse, or any other medical use. These medical tents are highly equipped with portable features, spacious measurements, and designed for easy assembly.
Treatment Areas For Patients With Infectious Diseases
When a patient's condition requires specialized care in an isolated area, the features of medical tents are the most efficient and suitable solution to deliver appropriate patient care.
These tents are built with durability essential for protecting patients and medical staff involved in health care operations. It can have different uses, including serving as a holding area for all patients due for screening tests, a designated emergency area, and a sterile portable room for doctors to perform various emergency medical procedures.
The size of medical tents enables quick identification and rapid treatment in case of an outbreak. They are made of high-quality materials that ensure long-term use even after being exposed to adverse conditions. The materials are lightweight so that they can be easily set up outdoors. And, they are designed to resist extreme weather conditions and other hazards that may affect their stability.
Medical Tents For COVID-19
Healthcare service providers require pop-up or portable medical tents in order to ensure immediate care for people infected with the COVID-19 while leaving no chance for the virus to enter hospitals or other medical institutes.
Medical tents are in high demand for initial examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are installed on hospital sites and serve as sorting centers and secure health posts. Particularly with the increase in the number of recorded cases, patients who are symptomatic and tested positive are strictly isolated from other patients.
Customized medical tents are available for private and public institutions to meet all requirements that allow health workers to perform standard procedures in dealing with COVID-19 patients.
Some patients might also need a special area or alternative spaces for carrying out therapeutic services or rehabilitation courses during COVID-19. Therefore, medical tents can also be designed to cater to their holistic needs for quicker recovery.
As the positive cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, people opt to be tested with the slightest symptoms. Naturally, hospitals and medical practitioners become the first points of contact. For better safety protocols, medical tents are utilized to a greater extent to limit the gathering of many people that are potentially infected.
The Need For Portable Facilities In A Medical Emergency
Emergency shelters such as medical tents are definitely in high demand when battling infectious diseases and many other kinds of disasters. Medical tents become highly advantageous than concrete structures, especially with the situation's great need for portability, mobility, and functionality. Due to their large capacity and versatile applications, these temporary facilities can be used to accommodate large numbers of people and provide the features required for medical and sheltering use.
We provide standard and custom products/services for your emergency field support and shelter system needs. Contact us today to inquire about our high-quality portable shelters!
Team Profile: Jorge Ortiz
Jorge Ortiz has been with Western Shelter for five years, and currently serves as our Sales Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. He is based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was personally impacted by Hurricane Maria. We greatly admire his work ethic and the commitment to his community that he displayed in the wake of the storm as he continued to serve his customers without reliable electricity or communications. It was only natural that we would feature him in our first team member profile.
The Ideal Quality of Commercial-Grade Medical Tents
There are different types of medical tents primarily built for emergency field support and disaster relief, each offering an extra level of protection. However, what makes them suitable for intensive medical care is the quality standards they need to meet.
This article discusses the basic equipment present in a medical tent and the main factors that impact its quality.
What Is Equipped In A Medical Tent?
Medical tents remarkably reduce the risk of exposure to infectious bacteria and viruses and help in the effective management of disastrous situations. As they need to offer stand-alone functions for healthcare providers and patients, they come with necessary facilities such as electricity, water & drainage system, ventilation, internal or external temperature controls, and standard medical equipment. These temporary facilities are highly suitable for high-risk emergency medical conditions.
Commercial-Grade Portable Medical Shelters
The standard quality of portable emergency shelters such as medical tents may vary depending on the type of service it provides. Nevertheless, it should possess essential qualities that meet global specifications of commercial-grade equipment for medical facilities.
1. Outstanding Construction and Design
Manufacturers ensure the quality of medical tents by using high-quality materials. These materials are sturdy and resistant to adverse conditions.
Portable shelters will have to be constructed with lightweight components. A commercial-grade medical tent is typically constructed with durable materials like polycarbonate for the coverings and aluminum foundation for non-inflatable models. The interior walls are lined with thick foam for added comfort and layered with insulators for temperature regulation and protection. Sometimes, additional partitions are installed along with the foam walls to enhance the patient's rest and provide better ventilation. There should be applications that allow the installation of medical necessities and other features depending on the tent's size and type.
Improved medical tents are able to withstand harsh climatic conditions. They should offer protection against hazardous elements, such as extreme UV rays exposure and harsh storms. This ensures that these tents will provide a safe haven for the patients in times of accidents or emergencies. In addition, they can be used for several years without any difficulty.
2. Exceptional Accommodation in Field Support
Emergency shelters are essentially designed for sick and injured patients in areas or disaster sites without access to hospitals. People in remote places experiencing medical distress will require standard medical services, so it would be advantageous if temporary medical facilities such as portable, pop-up tents will be provided for the medical workers to accommodate the needs of the casualties.
Medical tents must be able to store medical equipment necessary for providing various medical services. The structure should also include a comfortable area for patients.
The most common application of medical tents is for intensive care. These durable tents are able to provide enough room and security required for intensive patients in the field. The structure reduces the risks of certain medical complications like exposure to toxic chemicals and harmful medications. Medical tents can, indeed, make treating injured patients significantly less risky.
Wide Range of Portable Shelter Systems
What do you need in a temporary medical facility? Contact us for your needs in finding reliable shelter services, such as portable emergency shelters and medical tents!
Things to Consider When Building Storm Shelters Out of Shipping Containers
Securing a safe shelter in preparation for critical situations is the best way to survive dangerous calamities such as storms. The extent and capacity of the features of storm shelters depend on the functions you want to be included and the expected duration of its occupation.
Today, shipping containers are gaining a reputation for having excellent qualities suitable for building storm shelters.
Whether you choose to build above ground, semi-underground, or underground shipping container storm shelters, there are essential features to consider in any case. Here's a guideline you should check out.
Proper Ventilation
Storm shelters are expected to be safely enclosed, but never forget the number one essential thing you need to survive, which is to breathe. Install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to provide proper air ventilation without exposing you to all types of contaminants. Air filters (HEPA) remove many small particles and some airborne bacteria and viruses. You can use UV light to disinfect the air before it circulates, preferably before turning on the HEPA filter.
All other contaminants require a positive pressure system to keep them out. Positive pressure is achieved when air is blown into a room faster than it can exit. Even with the doors open, the forced air will keep contaminants out. This is the reverse principle of the isolation airlock present in hospitals.
Water and Food Supply
Water is a crucial point. Every survivalist knows it.
Having a source of drinking water and food supply is essential. The critical point in a storm is not knowing how long you're supposed to keep yourself inside the shelter. Of course, these are commonly designed as temporary shelters, but there should be enough food and water that will help you last at least one month.
Electricity
As you will be inside a shelter that probably has little to no amount of natural light coming in, you'll need electricity to function. It can be reasonably easy to achieve with a generator, but it also involves the storage of fuel and the separate disposal of exhaust gases.
Electricity makes life in a bunker much more comfortable, especially for cooking and heating, provided you have a sufficient source to power the entire structure.
Waste System
Another essential thing to consider when building shipping container storm shelters is the waste system. Proper disposal of human waste should be incorporated into the features of the bunker to ultimately survive without going out.
Several Exits
There's no point in finding safety in your survival shelter just to get stuck later. So there should always be more than one way out. In this regard, installing several exit points in the shipping container storm shelter should allow you to feel less constrained and more secure from the calamity.
Personal Necessities
This is probably the most overlooked feature, but it's almost as necessary as the previous ones. Without a sufficient level of habitability in your bunker, you will go crazy if you had to stay there for an extended period. Mental stability in an extreme situation is essential for long term survival. It is highly important to have comfortable beds, seats, tables, and maybe a few entertainments, such as books, board games, music, etc.
Conclusion
The above considerations represent only a few essential elements to be taken into account when designing and building a shipping container storm shelter.
Find out more about our shipping container features and applications. Contact us today!
