Cold weather 'freezes' base, causes maintenance issues

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Throughout the past week, the Edwards community, along with the Antelope Valley, has experienced the coldest period in 16 years.

With these cold temperatures, base emergency services personnel received more than 306 calls as of Tuesday, with complaints varying from frozen pipes and flooding or structural damage to fire alarm and suppression problems and in some instances -- family relocation.

More than 112 95th Civil Engineer and Transportation Directorate people provided support and maintenance for the entire base, and will continue until all situations are stabilized.

During the week, eight families were relocated to billeting while seven quarters were vacated because of water damage. Meanwhile, 61 occupied quarters experienced freeze damage.

The main base submitted 235 work orders including 63 problems on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, 61 main water lines and valves and 65 interior plumbing. The Air Force Research Laboratory made 71 work orders with 41 water pipe leaks.
To help combat the frozen water, Civil Engineers also de-iced sidewalks and steps and excavated utility trench excavations.

The base also enacted a service contract to ensure maintenance plans for carpet cleanup from flooding, fixing lawn irrigation pipes with leaks, providing portable toilets and housing maintenance contract oversight.

A response plan was also established for the Edwards 'freeze' problem.
The CE unit control center was activated and a disaster assessment team was established as well. The team stabilized all active leaks and mitigated damage as quickly as possible. Further relocations for occupants are also on plan if needed.
Base leadership is in the process of estimating the damage for additional logistical support from Air Force Materiel Command.

"Many CE employees spent the long weekend cold and wet in the trenches so that the rest of us could have heat and water when we came to work on Tuesday," said James Judkins, 95th Civil Engineer and Transportation Directorate director. "I couldn't be more proud of the way they and the rest of the base came together to battle this cold weather and minimize damages."