Facility Managers Make Edwards A Better, Safer Place To Work

  • Published
  • By Robert Baldwin and Meg Larsen
  • 95 Air Base Wing Civil Engineering Division
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  It's 4:30 p.m. and the end of the work day. As the facility manager, you routinely attempt to secure the door to your building. When you attempt to shut the door you realize to your dismay that it will not properly latch. You struggle to lock the door but for whatever reason, it will not secure. It is a security violation to leave the building without the door properly secured. What do you do?

This scenario would prompt the facility manager to contact the 95th Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Division's Customer Service Unit to request a work order and immediate service. Throughout the week, the CSU processes numerous work orders in support of scenarios such as the one mentioned above.

Depending on the nature of the problem, the work order request will fall into one of three criterion within a priority system ranging from 1 to 3: priority 1 = emergency, priority 2 = urgent, and priority 3 = routine. Once a call is made from the facility manager, the CSU representative generates a work order request and then provides the caller with that work order number.

Each building on base has a primary facility manager and one or more alternate individuals appointed by their commander or director. Facility managers maintain the safety and security of their buildings, occupants, and the real property installed equipment within.

Work orders submitted by the facility manager can be simple and routine such as fixing a leaky toilet or something urgent like repairing an HVAC system for an office space and may include something as serious as being unable to secure the building at the end of the day. Whatever the scenario, the CSU will provide the best service possible in order to support Team Edwards.

Facility managers serve as the point of contact for CE regarding facility maintenance. However, in the event of an emergency pertaining to the building or RPIE, the CSU will accept notification from anyone having knowledge of the situation.

When simple maintenance is required, a work order for the task is not necessary. Facility managers can take the initiative and accomplish the work. For example, the facility manager can change a burnt out fluorescent light that is less than 10 feet off the ground. The Facility Manager can pick up the required materials from the Government Operated Civil Engineering Supply Store located in Building 3500. The GOCESS maintains a large inventory of routine maintenance items. Please note, only appointed primary and alternate facility managers are authorized to pick up materials from GOCESS.

If facility managers come across rodent droppings , an infestation, or a beehive;. the facility manager should contact the CSU for a work order request. The CSU will then notify Contract Services for appropriate action. Aside from rodent and pest control problems, Contract Services also provides services to include emptying roll-off containers; recycling bins and dumpsters; fixing automatic doors; repair/replacing damaged carpet; providing custodial services; delivering portable chemical toilets/hand wash stations where needed at extended work sites or when there is a utility outage; repairing a non-functioning elevator; or removing a downed tree. If support is required, Contract Services will take the necessary steps to be proactive and respond to the work order requests in support of Team Edwards.

When accomplishing self-help projects, facility managers are the best defense against the inadvertent disturbance of potential asbestos or lead-containing materials that may be present in Edwards AFB facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of surfacing materials and pipe insulation in 1981, but you can still buy building materials today that contain asbestos. Examples include floor tile, adhesives, joint compound, and roofing mastics. Anything that is not unpainted metal, glass, plastic or wood is considered a suspect material until it has been sampled to prove otherwise. This also applies to facilities constructed after the 1981 time frame. Since asbestos containing materials are still available, anytime a renovation or demolition is needed, sampling is required to establish that no asbestos is present. Even the smallest renovation, cutting a hole for an electrical outlet to a complete renovation or demolition, would require sampling.

Sampling requirements also pertain to lead paint. Anything constructed and painted prior to 1978, is presumed to contain lead. This is why the facility manager's role is so important. If you discover any existing materials or paints are damaged, you can contact the CSU and they will notify the CE Environmental Office to check existing survey data. If no sampling data is available, samples can be collected for testing. If damaged asbestos or lead containing materials are found, the hazardous materials can be remediated.

Ongoing vigilance is critical, as facility management is a highly detailed yet vital function. Communicate with your facility managers and let them know your recommendations and ideas for improvement.. The facility managers maintain the integrity of each building, upholding safety and security compliance. Their most important responsibility however, is making sure all personnel remain safe.

For more information, please call the CSU at 277-3330 or 277-2420, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Emergency support calls after duty hours can be made using these numbers 24 hours a day.