On a bustling Tuesday, the atmosphere was electric with energy. Our team was juggling a packed schedule full of patient appointments, consultations, ultrasounds, and blood draws. In the lab, we were in full swing with 7 egg retrievals, 5 fresh embryo transfers, and 1 frozen embryo transfer lined up. It’s not every day that we have such a busy schedule, but with the unpredictability of retrieval dates based on patient responses to stimulation drugs, these hectic days pop up a few times each year. Thankfully, our spacious and well-equipped lab can handle the load, and our flexible nursing and embryology staff are always ready to step in when needed. On that day, 8 out of our 9 embryologists were on hand!
The morning routine starts early, with lab and nursing staff arriving by 7 AM to ensure everything is set for the day. Once the quality control checks are completed, the team dives into embryo assessments, thawing frozen embryos, evaluating fertilization from the previous day, and preparing for egg retrievals and sperm processing. Mornings are definitely our busiest time; we do this every day, and it usually flows like a well-oiled machine.
Then, around 8:30 AM, just as we were deep into our work, the power went out for our building and several blocks around us. Initially, there’s that moment when everything goes dark, but then the emergency power kicks in, letting us keep working almost seamlessly. Our disaster preparedness protocols kicked in immediately. We first checked the emergency generator and vital equipment to make sure everything was functioning. One of our incubators went into calibration mode, but we quickly relocated its contents without any issues. All retrievals and transfers were completed as planned, and our biggest worry was just figuring out why the power had gone out.
Patients had to navigate five flights of stairs since the elevators were down, but thankfully it didn’t disrupt their day too much. Our emergency generator is robust enough to support us for 36 hours, and it undergoes weekly tests, quarterly servicing, and checks after any power interruption. In case of a sudden outage when no one is around, the system automatically switches to backup power. Each piece of vital equipment is monitored, and we even have auditory capabilities to listen in on the lab’s environment. If needed, we can have someone in the lab within 30 minutes if an alarm goes off. Interestingly, embryos and sperm in cryo tanks don’t actually require power, as long as we keep those tanks filled with liquid nitrogen regularly.
After 90 minutes, power was restored. But, as we all know, we can’t predict when or how long an outage might last. At our center, we stay prepared, especially on those hectic mornings when every moment counts.
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In summary, the unexpected can happen anytime, but our team is always ready to adapt and ensure that everything runs smoothly, even during a power outage.