Facility Maintenance and Operations: Summary The NEIDL Facilities Maintenance and Operations Core is comprised of three functional areas, including Facilities (FAC), Information Technology (IT) and Community Relations (CR). Each is tasked with closely related but distinct responsibilities that collectively maintain the function, safety, and standing of the NEIDL BSL-4 operation. The Facilities Core is integrated with its equivalent units at the institutional level. The aims of the Facilities functional area are to 1) Support the operations and maintenance of the laboratory and support systems; 2) Improve the laboratory infrastructure for function, safety, and finance; 3) Maintain training, documentation and continue refinement of standard operating procedures. The aims Information Technology functional area are to 1) Continue the development, implementation, and staff training of the BSL-4 “in-suit”, hands free voice over internet protocol (VoIP) communications systems; 2) Implement, modify as need, and train staff on the select agent inventory software and its radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking systems in the BSL-4 laboratories; 3) Continue the development, implementation, modification, and staff training of an online library of “video-enhanced SOPs” of BSL-4 operations for in-lab reference, training, and safety review. Finally, the aims of the Community Relations functional area are to: 1) Broaden community outreach and expand efforts to inform and educate the community as well as build and sustain community trust about the NEIDL and its mission, in partnership with the Community Liaison Committee as well as engage other tactics; and 2) Use the NEIDL and its scientific and support personnel as an ongoing educational training resource for students, their parents and the lay public in the surrounding community.