Hospital Generator Backup: Meeting the 96-Hour Fuel Mandate

A 500-bed acute care hospital in Tampa operates four large diesel generators totaling 3,000 kW of backup power capacity. The generators are the facility's lifeline during power outages — keeping ICU ventilators running, operating room lights on, pharmacy refrigeration active, and electronic health records accessible.

CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) requires hospitals to maintain sufficient fuel for 96 hours of generator runtime. For this facility, that means keeping 12,000 gallons of ULSD on hand at all times across four generator day tanks and a central storage tank.

BettyJet implemented a keep-full service protocol specifically designed for hospital generator compliance. We deliver ULSD weekly every Wednesday, topping all tanks to 95% capacity regardless of consumption level. This ensures the 96-hour threshold is never breached.

We also established an emergency response protocol with the hospital. BettyJet maintains the hospital's account as a Priority 1 customer. During any declared emergency or extended power outage, BettyJet commits to onsite fuel delivery within 4 hours, with follow-up deliveries every 12 hours until power is restored.

To address fuel degradation, BettyJet performs annual fuel polishing service on all generator tanks and adds biocide treatment with every delivery. Tank samples are tested quarterly for microbial contamination, water content, and fuel quality.