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Maintenance, Repair & Operations

Firefighting Mode Vs. Total Downtime

Aug. 17, 2020

Reactive maintenance should comprise a fraction of your maintenance efforts.

Some reactive maintenance is bound to happen for a couple of reasons.

One reason is that some equipment is normally run to failure. An example is a light switch. These typically can withstand decades of use, and it doesn’t make sense to perform preventive maintenance (PM) on them. In the rare event a light switch fails, you replace it.

Another is that equipment can fail for reasons PM does not prevent. For example, you perform all the recommended maintenance on a motor, but a series of high-voltage transients on your power distribution system damage the windings.

Overall, reactive maintenance should comprise a fraction of your maintenance efforts; a number like 15% is probably acceptable. If your number is very high, you wind up in firefighting mode. You get the resources for this mode by stealing them from PM and predictive maintenance (PdM). This sets up a vicious cycle.

It may seem counterintuitive, but if you let some equipment stay down while you ensure your PM and PdM get done, then overall downtime will decrease.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.