Maintenance Strategies: Technician Training
June 6, 2012
I'm Dan Hounsell, editor of
Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's topic is, technician training
The Des Moines (Iowa) School District has made a major commitment to sustainability in recent years. Of its 52 schools, 38 have undergone renovations and upgrades that led to an Energy Star rating by earning a score of at least 75 on a 0-100 scale.
And in tackling the number of renovations and upgrades the district does — especially when those projects involve newer, more advanced technology — managers have gone to great lengths to ensure technicians have the training necessary to maintain the equipment properly.
"We have a very well-trained staff of maintenance people," says, Dave Silver, the district's facilities director. "One of the first things that happens when we take possession of a building is owner training supplied by the contractors or system manufacturers. We have what's called owner training, and there are two levels. It's one level for my people who maintain the systems and actually work on them, and there's one level for operations staff."
District technicians also are involved in project design — not a typical scenario in commercial and institutional facilities — which illustrates the team approach the district takes in executing renovations and equipment upgrades. That approach is particularly evident in the relationship between Silver and his boss, Bill Good, who understands the importance of investing in existing buildings and the role the facilities department plays in prolonging the life of those buildings.
Says Silver, "I felt like there was an opportunity to save money and energy for several years. Bill was way ahead of us when he came on board. He already had a very good energy-conservation program at his former employer. It was an easy marriage. I was thankful. There wasn't any selling to Bill. It was more Bill coming to me saying he wanted to do this. I was anxious to jump on the bus as soon as he opened the door."
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