Robert Souza
Anonymous
Forum Replies Created
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In reply to: Walk in freezer replacement
In reply to: maintenance workers on 2nd shift
Mike,
In a past district, I installed a maintenance mechanic on 2nd shift and it worked well for me. The maintenance person had full access to classrooms and did not have to jockey equipment, ladders, supplies, etc., around passing periods. Additionally it alleviated a lot of overtime calls as there was a person available to assist the night custodians if an important repair popped up like the hardware on an exterior door decided to crap out mid shift or there was a maintenance issue (lighting controls was one) during an evening event. I also was able to use them to keep the walks and entrances clear during the winter and/or they would jump in a plow truck if I needed them to tidy up the lots after a snowy school day ended.
Bob, Old Colony RVHS
In reply to: Mandatory DCF Training
In reply to: Irrigation well/pump service provider
Hi Bob,<span dir=”ltr”>I have used a couple vendors in the past that I would recommend. </span><span dir=”ltr”>In no particular order:</span>Maher Drilling and Pump Services 71 Concord St North Reading MA 781-933-3210
<span dir=”ltr”>Ogden Wells 800-339-9051 17 Catherwood Road, Tewksbury, MA </span>
DM Drilling Services 508-763-3300 52 Chace Rd, East Freetown, MA
Good luck,Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHSIn reply to: Cleaver Brooks Boiler
Bill,
In a former district, we did this every couple years. We purchased some 55 gallon drums and saved any drums left over from any glycol additions to the system. We stored the drums inside the oil tank enclosure so they were readily available when needed for cleaning or other system repairs. The drums were shared district-wide for these purposes. I believe most any outfit can handle this type of work but I used a local outfit for the annual cleanings and most of my minor boiler work as they were typically less expensive than the larger outfits. Lemieux Heating out of New Bedford 508-995-1631.
Bob Souza, Old Colony
In reply to: Automation Controls
I’ve worked with American Energy Management, Metasys, Trane Summit, Delta & Huntington Controls.
In my humble opinion, I found Metasys, Trane and American Energy Management to be decent systems. American Energy Mgmt was by far the least expensive and I found them every bit as good and as the “Big Dogs”. I thought Metasys and AEM were the easiest systems to learn. This opinion is based on ease of use, reliability and especially important, service/repair after sale & warranty expiration.
Bob Souza
Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Disinfectant Sprayers
In reply to: Canada Geese
Diane,
That’s a tough one. I’ve tried all those as well with little success. The program that actually seemed to work was “Shoo Geese” but I couldn’t use them. https://shoogeese.com/ They use Border Collies that like to chase, but not catch, the wild geese. During one of the first sessions, kids were at the windows watching the dogs. Got calls from parents about us killing geese and teachers were upset because students were more interested in what was going on outside which was pretty entertaining.
I had a custodian that bred beagles and asked him to chain a few dogs up to see if it worked. It did, but not as well. The geese figured out the dogs didn’t move too much and populated areas on the far side of our large campus. This was cumbersome as the dogs needed to be watered and checked on and the areas where they were staked had to be cleaned. This went against our no pets signage and then there were the calls about animal abuse; this also took time away from cleaning so it was discontinued.
Good luck,
Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Exterior Sign Vendor Needed
Lori,
I have used Signs by Tomorrow, Dave Quinn, 508-222-1900, email- norton@signsbytomorrow.com, website- http://www.signsby tomorrow.com
Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Safety Shoes for Custodians and Maintenance
Joe~
Language from our contract is pretty vague, “A shoe allowance for the maintenance and custodial staff of up to one hundred ($100.00) per year will be provided annually upon submission of receipts.” I raised the concern once but the shop steward wasn’t having any part of a shoe requirement discussion. A couple of my custodians will wear sneakers all others typically wear hikers. Maintenance staff generally wear soft toe work boots.
Bob, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Electric vehicle charging station
I have been asked to research pros / cons and associated costs with installation of EV Charging stations. Was hopeful that members that went through this process could share some insights and recommendations. I saw that there were some funding opportunities available about a year ago but these may be closed at this point. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Bob, Old Colony RVTHS
In reply to: Window Repairs
In reply to: Opening Fields
In reply to: Sanitizer
Joe:
Good timing for this post as I believe we are all having these conversations with Administration.
- Is your department (facilities) responsible to furnish, install and maintain hand sanitizers? Yes, all mine.
- Did you purchase dispensers (or get free) and refill with your own staff? Yes. I negotiated a credit as the vendor didn’t have to hire someone to do the install.
- Do you have a vendor (like CINTAS) provide turn-key services (install, maintain and refill)? No, I’ve found these services too expensive for my budget. Wish I could afford it.
- How are you deciding how many you will need? We placed them in all lavatories, sink locations and common areas. We are discussing adding to all classrooms.
- How will adding (potentially hundreds) of these impact your custodial staff workload (refills)? They stretch pretty far. Looking at just the labor to replace refills, I would assume it may add +/- 10 minutes in total to an individual’s work day as they would be in the space attending to routine duties of restocking consumables anyway. There may be times when there is little to no extra effort needed.
Bob, OCRVTHS
- Is your organization still paying staff to mostly stay home (essentially paid furlough)? Yes until May 4th. At that time we will move to a 4-day work week and use procedures to work separately practicing social distancing.
- Do you have any staff that are on unpaid furlough? No
- Have you had to layoff anyone? No.
- Have your City/Town/School officials raised the possibility of layoffs or furloughs with you? <b>Not for this fiscal year but there is great concern for next year’s budget.</b>
Bob Souza, Old Colony RVTHS
