Co-op expands circuits to hospital hill
Project increases capacity to meet growth in north Kalispell
When Kalispell Regional Medical Center unveils its new addition in mid-August, one thing you won’t see is the electrical connections that will help everything run smoothly at the hospital.
The hospital is completing a $31.4 million construction project that comprises phase 2 of a $45 million expansion and modernization scheduled to be finished in two years.
Flathead Electric met several times with hospital officials during the planning phases of the expansion project to help ensure that there was adequate primary and backup power for the medical center, one of the Co-op’s largest customers.
Electrical work inside the new hospital facilities was done by a local electrical firm, while Co-op personnel installed the electrical infrastructure outside the medical center.
"Your guys have been great," said Don Williams, director of construction for Kalispell Regional Medical Center. "From the whole inception of the master site plan on Buffalo Hill, we’ve had nothing but the fullest of cooperation from Flathead Electric, from the engineers to the installers to the linemen. It couldn’t have been better."
To meet the electrical needs of the hospital and the surrounding North Kalispell area — including the Mountain View Plaza and other retail and commercial construction — Flathead Electric increased the size of its electrical circuits that feed the area. In addition, to help increase reliability, interconnections were made between substations, allowing Flathead Electric to provide service to the area from two different sources.
"The whole area in and around the hospital will benefit from this upgrade," said Engineering Manager John Eisinger. "The tremendous growth we have seen in that area has required that we upgrade our facilities to meet the electrical demand for now, as well as in the future.
"While we can’t prevent outages caused by lightning, squirrels and other accidents, we are striving to minimize their effects on our members. Having the capability to serve this load from two different directions helps reduce the outage time and keeps a critical load on line."
2003 June
Roundup For Safety
Report
Applications Received
& Approved:
Bigfork Scout Troop
Helipad $500.00
Calvary Lutheran
Fire Safety Equipment $560.00
N. Valley Music School
Handicap Ramp Cover $500.00
Evergreen Fire Dept.
"Jaws of Life" $3,000.00
Marion Fire Dept.
Protective Equipment $1,800.00
Bigfork Boosters
Bleachers w/Handicap access $4,000.00
Glacier Nordic Ski
Lighting $500.00
Kalispell Police
Vests $3,600.00
Lincoln Cty Parks/Rec
Lighting $1,200.00
MT Highway Patrol
Projector $800.00
Flathead Care
Radios $300.00
David Thompson S&R
Vests $1,400.00
Swan Mission S&R
Water Rescue Equip. $1,700.00
Whitefish Police
Drug Task Force $5,000.00
2 Applications Tabled
1 Application Denied
Roundup For Safety is a voluntary program for FEC members.
Applications are considered each month. For information and application forms, call 751-4483 in Kalispell and 293-7122 in Libby.