Facilities and their management

On my first day of working with Facilities Management, I got to see the inspection process for the government housing to make sure that everything is up to code, specifically RM-36. For example, much of the housing was constructed back during the Mission 66 era. Many of the building practices of yesteryear were by and large abandoned for safety reasons, like using asbestos as insulation or lead-based paint, so it is important to check for any crucial areas of improvement. Filling me in on what needs to be done were the park carpenters Chuck Latrell and John Riffy, both of whom have worked in construction for a good amount of time. Before continuing with our day we stopped by fee station 705 to fix a door with a malfunctioned automated lock. Turned out a bolt just needed to be tightened. Later, I got to help out at the sign shop and built a few signposts for LAKE’s sister site Tule Springs Fossil Bed National Monument. Ending my day with workplace safety training such as learning the park’s emergency action plans and fire protection plan. 

Entrance station 705

For those who may not know, facilities management is in charge of maintaining park infrastructure in order to preserve the park’s mission. Not only that, but they also ensure that the area is safe, functional, and pleasing to many visitors who come to the recreation area. They face challenges ranging from staffing, deferred maintenance, and dealing with natural disasters. The three biggest projects that must be maintained are trails, toilets, and trash since they directly affect the public’s enjoyment of the resource and their safety. 

The next day I got to experience a full day of field maintenance with Rommel Garcia. Many of the tasks we completed reminded me of my old summer jobs as a landscaper and factory worker. This was especially evident when Garcia and I removed a fallen tree and all its branches from the parking lot near headquarters in Boulder City. We also cleaned up around the visitor center, replacing the toilet paper, replacing all the trash bags, and checking for leaks or cloggings. I was surprised to learn that there are over 170 toilets at the park that needed to be cleaned and maintained daily. That and the existence of float toilets which are like a little floating barge with a portapotty on them. Garcia enlightened me on how facilities work with VRP when it comes to incidents of graffiti, which has been occurring more lately, and how they report it to dispatch so they may send LEOs to take photos and report it. Finishing up the shift with quick cleanup of the Boulder Beach campgrounds.

The storm from the previous night knocked this tree over

My last day was a very informative one. I was given the rundown on the Project Management Incident System (PMIS). I was also informed that just because a park may have the funds to tackle projects, it is the size, budget, and staff that can affect what they can handle. This leads to a frequent update of where priorities need to lie or for them to be canceled due to overshooting the budget. Just hearing all the acronyms and red tape that goes along with facilities management made me understand the importance of this department. After a while, I then traveled around checking on the treatment systems at LAKE. Ensuring that there is not too much chlorine in the water. I wish I got a picture of it, but a snake jumped out at me at one of the stations. Luckily it was not a rattlesnake, but then again I thought it was just a pile of rope when I first saw it. That was until it started moving. Regardless, it was great to work with the men and women over at facilities management. There are all of these challenges they must face yet they still maintain the resolve to get them done. 

The sign shop near the dispatch center