What You Don't See in Aisle 5

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“You never know what you might find in aisle five—a bargain, a surprise, or in this case, a hidden danger lurking in plain sight. Join us as we open Season 3 with a story of mystery, science, and stewardship.”

Full Episode Description
Season 3 of Facilities Five and Dime opens with a mystery that changed the way the world thinks about building systems. In 1976, during a gathering of veterans in Philadelphia, a sudden wave of illness swept through a hotel. Doctors couldn’t explain it, the CDC scrambled for answers, and facility managers everywhere were left with a sobering reminder: hidden risks inside our buildings can have life-or-death consequences.

In this episode, we trace the outbreak step by step—the first puzzling reports, the false leads, the breakthrough in the lab, and the unsettling discovery that pointed back to the systems meant to keep people comfortable and safe. It’s a detective story of science, engineering, and persistence that still echoes through every cooling tower, rooftop unit, and boiler room today.

The lesson? Curiosity in facility stewardship isn’t optional. Because sometimes, what you don’t know about your building can hurt more than your budget—it can put lives at risk.