If you are looking for time to further enhance your education, now is the time! The ultimate goal for educational advancement is to obtain a Masters HVACR license for Maryland, Virginia, and/or the District of Columbia. At a minimum, Chief Engineers in Maryland should have a MD 1^st class license. In the District of Columbia, the DC 3^rd class license.

For those of you who are interested, we have included some useful information to get you started:

NAPE- Educational Development
Interested in signing up for classes?
Go to NAPE where the opportunities for education is endless!

Listed below are additional links that can lead you in the right direction for educational progress:

• www.dllr.state.md.us
• www.hvactraining.com/hvaclielin
• http://www.psiexams.com/

Losing the weight

A New Energy Diet that Could Decrease Significant Amounts of Carbon Emissions

The average American generates about 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year from personal transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce all of the products and services we consume. One pound of CO₂ is what's released per each mile driven, or each mile flown per person; it's what's produced to heat five gallons of water. You have the power to make a difference. Small changes to your daily routine can add up to big changes in helping to stop global warming. Calculate your personal impact to see how much CO₂ you produce each year at climatecrisis.net

Want to do something to help stop Global Warming?
Here are 10 simple things you can do!

• Change a light bulb
• Drive less
• Recycle more
• Check your tires
• Use less hot water
• Avoid products with a lot of packing
• Adjust your thermostat
• Plant a tree
• Turn off or unplug electronic devices
• Stop ordering print catalogs

To read this article in its entirety or would like to get more information visit www.nytimes.com
www.climatecrisis.net
www.thegreenguide.com
www.stopglobalwarming.org

The dangers of Dehydration: Fun in the sun while staying safe!

Dehydration and heat stroke are two very common heat-related diseases that can be life threatening if left untreated.

Dehydration is caused when the body loses water content and essential body salts such as sodium, potassium, calcium bicarbonate and phosphate. When a person becomes so sick with fever, diarrhea, or vomiting or if an individual is overexposed to the sun, dehydration will occur.

Common symptoms of dehydration include:

• Thirst
• Less-frequent urination
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Dry mouth and mucous membranes
• Increased heart rate and breathing

The dangers of Heat Strokes: Fun in the sun while staying safe!

Heat stroke can be a risk, especially in the summer months. It is the result of long, extreme exposure to the sun, in which a person does not sweat enough to lower body temperature. Our bodies produce a tremendous amount of internal heat and we normally cool ourselves by sweating and radiating heat through the skin. However, in certain circumstances, such as extreme heat, high humidity or vigorous activity in the hot sun, this cooling system may begin to fail, allowing heat to build up to dangerous levels. If a person becomes dehydrated and cannot sweat enough to cool their body, their internal temperature may rise to dangerously high levels, causing heat stroke. If someone is suspected of suffering from a heat stroke it is important for the person to be treated immediately as heat stroke can cause permanent damage or death. There are some immediate first aid measures you can take while waiting for help to arrive but generally intravenous fluids are often necessary to compensate for fluid or electrolyte loss. Bed rest is generally advised and body temperature may fluctuate abnormally for weeks after heat stroke.

Symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Disorientation, agitation or confusion
• Sluggishness or fatigue
• Seizure
• Hot, dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty
• A high body temperature
• Loss of consciousness
• Rapid heart beat
• Hallucinations

• Drink plenty of fluids during outdoor activities, especially on hot days. Water and sports drinks are the drinks of choice; avoid tea, coffee, soda and alcohol as these can lead to dehydration.
• Wear lightweight, tightly woven, loose-fitting clothing in light colors.
• Schedule vigorous activity and sports for cooler times of the day.
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat, sunglasses and using an umbrella.
• Increase time spent outdoors gradually to get your body used to the heat.
• During outdoor activities, take frequent drink breaks and mist yourself with a spray bottle to avoid becoming overheated.
• Try to spend as much time indoors as possible on very hot and humid days.

Success Stories

1901 Research Boulevard, Rockville Maryland - HVAC Control Restoration
When BMSI started this assignment, this 111,000 square foot office building was experiencing unstable temperature conditions throughout all floor areas and tenant suites. One large tenant that had recently moved in was threatening to move out if conditions didn't improve. Then, the electronic EMS system crashed, taking away what control our engineer did have.

The building owner reached out to us for help. Our engineer assigned to this building, Merrick Gordon, was assisted by Bill Weaver and Nicholas Beys to discover what was not working. With our help, the owner replaced the main EMS computer by the manufacturer, and that allowed us to work out the remaining problems.

The VAV box distribution system was in poor condition, with some boxes not working at all. There were failed components in various VAV boxes as well as communication problems with the EMS wiring connections. Merrick, Bill, and Nicholas methodically mapped out each box on each floor in the entire building, purchasing parts and repairing problems as they went. Also, they made a list of deficiencies for the EMS control contractor to repair, and scheduled and supervised those repairs as they worked.

As a result, interior temperatures stabilized throughout the entire building, and all tenant areas became comfortable. In fact, several tenants that had been in the building for years said the building had never felt so great. It took our team less than 4 weeks from start to finish, and saved the owner thousands of dollars in mechanical contracting costs by performing diagnostics and repairs in-house.

14502 Greenview Drive, Laurel Maryland - 4th floor cooling problems
The main tenant on the 4th floor of this office building had suffered from insufficient cooling for over a year, and the on-site engineers were unable to correct the problems. Since BMSI had a relationship with the building owner, they asked for our assistance.

We dispatched one of our engineers, Alan Williams, to the site. After review of the operating condition of the HVAC system, Alan made a series of adjustments and restored comfort conditions for the entire floor in less than three hours.

Get ready for some good old-fashioned rock and roll! More than 600 professionals take a break from the heat and humidity to celebrate the end of summer and relax with good friends. Enjoy a summer feast of New England lobster, fish bisque, spiced shrimp, barbecue chicken, charcoal-baked white bread, corn on the cob, potatoes, kielbasa sausage, and salad bar.

Thursday, August 21, 2008, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Smokey Glen Farm
16407 Riffleford Road
Gaithersburg, MD
$125/ nonmembers
Reserve online at www.pma-dc.org

~Pics of Happy Hour for Bill Weaver
Pictures are now available from the Happy Hour event held exclusively for Bill Weaver's retirement and Gene's introduction. We would like to thank everyone who were in attendance and made it such a special event.