Increasing numbers of facility managers and building owners realize the importance of incorporating a building management system into their new or existing buildings. Reduced energy bills, compliance with federal, state, and local conservation mandates, and good citizenship are all rewards for those who maintain an up-to-date BMS. However, selecting a building management system also raises … Read more
A decade ago, FICO management identified facility security as a key area of need for customers. They also saw that the parallels that existed between physical security and building management systems made it a logical service to offer businesses. Not long after, FICO added Gary Marrone as the firm’s security strategy consultant. Ever since, FICO … Read more
Earlier this year, the experts at FICO helped complete a major BMS upgrade of the HVAC System for Havre Public Schools in Havre, Montana. Providing quality ventilation, climate control, and building management systems (BMS) in classrooms is serious work that is vital to schools’ operations. Fresh air ensures students remain alert and ready to learn. Frequent … Read more
A building management system governing the distribution of electricity and controlling HVAC in your building saves money. There’s no question about that. However, facility managers can reduce those utility cost savings even more if they understand how their electrical utility determines the charges for the coming year for the electricity to power their building, especially … Read more
One of the pandemic’s many holdovers was its negative effect on the commercial real estate market in the US. The Great Resignation, coupled with the number of businesses that have either adopted a hybrid work environment or allowed many employees to work from home, has created smaller real estate footprints for many companies and lower … Read more
When most building professionals, facility managers, architects, and other professionals discuss building management systems (BMS), they immediately go to efficiencies in HVAC. Over the past decade, technological innovations have expanded this to include electrical distribution, energy efficiency, access control, security, and other areas. However, not much has been said about the solutions for water management … Read more
Administrators and employees at the VA Hospital in Fort Harrison, near Helena, Montana, now have one less concern when it comes to physical plant security. FICO recently completed the installation of a new access-control system that regulates the comings and goings of employees at the facility and, when it is fully completed, at all VA … Read more
Summer is here, with harsh weather in many regions across the country. Heat and its challenges can be tough on your BMS (building management system). However, simple maintenance can address most of these challenges. Many summertime issues relate not only to BMS but also directly to the HVAC system in your building. Fortunately, FICO technicians … Read more
Planners and administrators at colleges and universities know that their campuses must serve as a portal to the future and that the future includes sustainability and a common sense approach to energy use. Among these priorities is that the design and construction of classrooms, conference halls, libraries, faculty and administration offices, and especially student housing, … Read more
Building management systems have their roots in HVAC. In the late 1800s, as the industrial age started pushing more people into smaller work areas, industrialists began to see the first cases of sick building syndrome—employees becoming ill from breathing stale air and exposure to infectious diseases. Those employees who didn’t get sick were often still … Read more
FICO provides turnkey building management and system integration services for technically complex buildings in Montana and beyond. From design and installation to ongoing maintenance and security, our best-in-class people and products help you achieve operational savings and minimize risk as you work to provide reliable and safe environments.
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Great Falls, MT 59404
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