Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1477844
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2022 Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 Light at the End of the Tunnel Developing one issue of SMT007 Magazine takes two to four months of planning, research, content gathering, editing, and production. Under normal conditions (are they ever nor- mal?), the stories we identify at the start of the planning process remain accurate and timely when the magazine is published. We move fast in this industry, but sometimes, just like the rest of our industry, things evolve. Supply chain challenges, though, look to be here for the long haul. So, the questions we asked centered on how EMS companies should adapt their processes and equipment. It feels as if the component sourcing teams at EMS providers are as overworked and stressed-out as the emergency room nurses were in our hos- pitals one to two years ago. Look at the similar- ities: constantly changing situations, facilities clogged with more work/patients than the staff can handle, shortages of critical supplies, new pressures from unexpected places, and each new pressure point causing cascading issues throughout the entire operation. In both cases, workers have expressed that it feels like a long, dark tunnel—or the bottom of a well. erefore, we chose Pozzo di San Patrizio, in Orvieto, Italy, for our cover. is well was built between 1527 and 1537, as requested by Pope Clement VII, who took refuge there while Rome was sacked in 1527. To reach water, the well had to be dug 53 meters (174 feet) down. Faced with a huge challenge, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, the well's master- mind, delivered a disruptive and innovative solution. He wrapped the perimeter of all 53 meters with two corkscrew ramps arranged in a double helix. ese ramps— tunnels, really—allowed mules to haul water from the bottom of the well to the surface, guaranteeing a reliable source for water. While the climb to the top, to the light, could seem arduous, it was made possible because of the thought and practice behind its develop- ment. What is to be learned from this architectural feat? Pozzo di San Patrizio, in Orvieto, Italy. (Source: Wikimedia Commons, Fantasy)