As the federal government finalizes plans to deploy and track new COVID-19 vaccines, Polar Leasing is prepared to satisfy the demand for its expanded line of walk-in refrigerated and freezer storage units to safely store vaccines at facilities around the country.

“We developed a detailed logistical plan to support effective vaccine storage and continuous temperature monitoring for our fleet of mobile units,” says Bart Tippmann, president of Polar Leasing. “Our initial timeframe is to offer the cold storage units to pharmaceutical companies as well as hospitals, outpatient clinics and public health vaccination locations.”

Tippmann says the company’s cold chain storage units have already been effectively utilized in COVID-19 testing facilities around the country.  “We are now prepared to quickly and efficiently mobilize the units where vaccinations will take place,” Tippmann explains. “We are ready to deliver and hold vaccines currently in production by the notable pharmaceutical companies—no matter whether freezing or refrigeration is required.”

The specially designed portable units can maintain recommended temperature conditions from -20C to 8C to safely accommodate the new COVID-19 vaccines. Most units have a built-in GPS-enabled thermal sensor to allow Polar Leasing and its customers to proactively prevent unwanted temperature deviations and act before they happen.

The units will be available for immediate shipping in early December to locations throughout the United States. Polar Leasing has prioritized an additional 300 new walk-in refrigerator and freezer units from its manufacturer Polar King International to meet the anticipated demand for both short and long-term rentals as the COVID-19 vaccines become available, according to Tippmann.

“We have now expanded beyond 80 distribution depots with hundreds of chambers available across the United States and--in some cases-- can deliver orders within 24 hours,” says Tippmann. “Custom controlled chambers can also be manufactured to customer specifications,” he adds.

Polar Leasing currently supplies many pharmaceutical companies involved in temperature-sensitive distribution. From research and development to the clinical trials phase, pre-conditioning gel packs and PCMs prior to transport, Polar Leasing temperature controlled chamber rentals are the perfect on-site solution for temporary refrigeration anywhere throughout the cold chain. “The beauty of Polar Leasing is our flexibility in terms of timing, for either freezer or refrigerated units as well as an option for redundancy and the outstanding cold chain performance the units provide,” notes Jimmy Kollmer, National Business Development Manager for the Life Science Cold Chain Division of Polar Leasing.

Kollmer continues, “Our company’s refrigerated, and freezer storage units have been used to store and refrigerate up to 40,000 COVID-19 test kits daily at various testing facilities around the country since the pandemic outbreak. Before shipping, all spec units are subjected to a validation summary report which qualifies efficacy of performance.”  According to Polar King, detailed inspection ensures that the COVID-19 vaccines can be safely stored in extreme cold temperatures according to each manufacturer’s specifications, if needed.

“We understand that safely maintaining uniform temperature is the critical factor in the cold chain for dealing with the new COVID-19 vaccines once they become available,” says Kollmer. He continues, “In these uncertain times, Polar Leasing allows the flexibility with prompt solutions to address the unknown, temperature setting, volume of product and the term needed. The one-piece fiberglass cold rooms maintain temperature control, offer quick temperature recovery times, provide excellent sanitation standards and offer the peace of mind that the new vaccines will be safe.”

According to Polar Leasing, order processing is easy. Simply call the customer service hotline (866-574-4573) to speak to a cold chain specialist to reserve a leased unit with a digital signature. Standard 8’ x 10’ and 8’ x 20’ units are in stock, while custom sizes from 6’ x 8’ up to 16’ x 65’ can be built after orders are placed. Once the customer determines the required size, a free-standing walk-in unit is shipped, and a roll-back truck puts it in place.

Tippmann reports the vast majority of the time the company drops the unit right where the customer wants it whether used inside the warehouse or placed outside. He explains, “We have fork slots in the frames to enable easy moving. Customers simply connect the unit to their electric source and installation is complete. When the emergency has run its course, the truck picks up the unit and returns it to the depot.”

Polar Leasing says there are advantages of using a ground-resting unit over a refrigerated truck. The NSF-approved walk-ins have a 6” step, as compared with the awkward ramp-and-door configuration of trucks. The units have a fiberglass interior with lights. Plus, they are dual temp to allow customers to go from a cooler to a freezer by the flip of a switch.

“Environmentally, the Polar Leasing solution is better than refrigerated trucks which are very loud and exhaust diesel emissions,” Tippmann notes. “Most importantly,” he adds, “the operational cost savings are substantial.”

Polar Leasing 8’ x 20’ temperature controlled cold rooms are walk-in combination freezer/refrigeration units specifically designed and engineered for customers operating in the pharmaceutical cold chain. Each custom-built cold room has an option for rental validation. For added efficiency and to further protect the integrity of the products stored inside, each cold room features vinyl strip curtains to reduce the amount of cold loss or heat gain.

Additionally, the heavy-duty floor is durable and capable enough to hold up to 1,000 lbs. sq. ft., while the pallet duty floor is rated up to 5,000 lbs. sq. ft. For added safety and protection, the DT820P and DT820RED chambers have an interior pallet bumper guard around the interior to prevent damage to the rental unit. As with all Polar King Leasing NSF-approved refrigeration rentals, the company offers an antimicrobial gel-coat finish on the interior to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold and mildew. Polar Leasing units are easy to clean and meet pharmaceutical companies’ exacting requirements for performance.

For more information visit www.polarleasing.com.