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96 PCB007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2021 Feature Article by IPC Staff How did IPC committee members fare dur- ing lockdown? We asked Francisco Fourcade, a master IPC trainer and member of the 5-22A and 7-31B standards development task groups revising two of IPC's biggest standards, IPC- J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610. Francisco lives in Barcelona, Spain, and experienced one of the toughest lockdowns in the world. When travel restrictions eased, Francisco attended IPC SummerCom 2021, where the inaugural Golden Gnomes were held. As the first recipient of the Outstanding A-Team Member of the Year, Francisco was recognized for participating in several A-Teams, including J-STD-001 A-Team, IPC-A-610 A-Team, Shock and Awe A-Team, Team Kangaroo, Team Iron, Team Bones, and the IPC/WHMA-A-620 Training Committee. He was also an active par- ticipant on the J-STD-001/IPC-A-610 Auto- motive Addendum Working Group. Here is a snapshot of Francisco's committee experiences during the pandemic. IPC: What was it like to work on these stan- dards under lockdown? e committees could not meet in person, but was there anything else that struck you about working on IPC stan- dards during a pandemic? Francisco Fourcade: Under lockdown, between the unprecedented uncertainty and isolation that most of us experienced, staying actively connected was crucial. Working on IPC stan- dards was certainly a good way to collaborate alongside colleagues that were experiencing some form of lockdown as well. We had a lot of participants join from all over the world shar- ing their knowledge and support in our virtual community. IPC: What was your personal experience? Where were you locked down and for how long? Fourcade: My lockdown took place in Barce- lona, Spain. We had boots on the ground run- ning checkpoints with police to enforce one of the toughest lockdowns in the world. Every time you'd leave your house you were required to have a self-signed certificate, dated, specif- ics with point A and B addresses, and a set of seven defined reasons why you were not home. It lasted 98 days; it was brutal. Fortunately, I live in a small town on the northern coast of Barcelona, so I could walk my dog for a one- kilometer radius, which meant walks on the beach. It was amazing how nature was flour- ishing everywhere during lockdown; we even got to see dolphins at sea! Francisco Fourcade: Meeting During a Pandemic Francisco Fourcade