Each fall, before the winter weather sets in, Holyoke Public Schools buildings and grounds are readied for the return of freezing temperatures, snow, and ice. That work—coordinated by Director of Facilities and Maintenance Sean Sheedy—includes the following:
Heating systems are tested and cleaned, and all maintenance items are addressed in preparation for the heating season.
Outdoor equipment is serviced, and we conduct a swap over from warm to cold weather attachments.
Outdoor items are stored correctly and put away for the season.
Here’s how Mr. Sheedy explains each part in the process:
What steps are needed to prepare district equipment?
Before the start of the winter months, the district's outdoor equipment is serviced and prepared for the conversion from warm weather to cold weather equipment swap out. Lawn tractors are converted from grass-cutting attachments to snow-blowing attachments. Salt spreaders are greased and tested for proper operation. Snow-melting materials are delivered and stored at the schools.
Before the start of winter, all HVAC equipment filters are cleaned or changed, and all belts, and grease fittings including motors are inspected and addressed. Some of the same systems can manually be changed over to produce heat allowing for pre-testing the system to ensure the heating elements are functioning correctly. The hydronic and steam boilers are tested and run through their operations testing the system and identifying issues while making corrections before the start of the heating season.
How do you ensure you have enough parts on hand?
We utilize the many parts we keep stocked on our shelves in the warehouse while sourcing other specialist parts from various vendors as they are needed to make the repairs. We also make use of our subcontractors who are experts in their field of work, while combining that with our maintenance staff. This allows us to correctly maintain all of our heating and cooling systems. This results in keeping all our systems functioning correctly throughout the year.
How would you know if there is an issue with a school building?
The district has a number of ways to identify, report, repair, and then follow up on the resolution of the original problem.
In most cases, our building management system will send the maintenance administrator an electronic notification in real time as issues arise. That information will be used to dispatch a maintenance team member or a subcontractor to address the issue.
The custodial staff assigned to each building will report issues as they arise through our electronic work ticket system and we will then issue those tickets to the correct staff or subcontractor.
A telephone conversation will occur with the maintenance administrator or the facilities manager or assistant manager to report the problem, and then the correct maintenance staff member or subcontractor will be dispatched to address the issue.
A follow-up email will also be used to keep track of and inform certain staff of the repairs taking place.
As the work progresses and when it is complete, the maintenance administrator, facilities director, or assistant manager will stay updated on the progress ensuring the issue has been resolved correctly.
How does the district effectively budget for winter maintenance?
By using historical data from previous years, the district projects cost increases related to labor rates and supply chain availability. Spreadsheets are used to track every facet of the budget using real-time updates from our accounting systems program, MUNIS. Previous and current invoices are monitored closely, and we use that data to continually update our operating and projected costs.