By Susan C. Galentine, Directorate of Public Works
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Whether conducting vehicle maintenance in the motorpools built along Minick Avenue in the ‘60s and ‘70s or working in newer buildings at Butts Army Heliport assigned to the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, facility management is important to keep buildings running efficiently.
With such a range of building construction eras, facility management is a mix of ensuring older buildings are maintained to maximize energy efficiency and comfort, and occupants understanding the more technical lighting and heating and air conditioning systems in place in newer facilities.
The Directorate of Public Works (DPW) staff is focused on supporting military units and organizations on post. One effective way units and organizations can get timely help from DPW is by assigning facility managers to address maintenance and repair problems. In many respects, trained facility managers serve as the eyes and ears of their commands when dealing with building issues.
“With over 1,000 facilities on Fort Carson, facility managers are vital in identifying issues before a crisis occurs,” said Doug Homa, DPW Operations and Maintenance Division chief. “Whether it is an open window during freezing temperatures that can cause pipes to freeze or a leak inside or outside a building that, if unreported, could cause major grounds or structural damage, facility managers are the front line when it comes to care of facilities in their unit’s footprint.”
The DPW offers training opportunities and tools to military and civilian facility managers to prepare them for their role. The first step for a newly assigned facility manager is to sign up for the DPW Facility Management Class, which includes instruction on all aspects of facility management. Unit leadership ensuring facility managers are assigned to barracks is especially critical to addressing living space issues quickly.
The two-day class covers topics including placing service orders, energy conservation, recycling, barracks equipment replacement, processing work requests for new projects and fire warden responsibilities.
The class is offered monthly Tuesday-Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in building 1219, on third floor in the Crestone Conference Room.
Upcoming training dates are:
To register Soldiers for the training, brigade training NCOs need to contact the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security Individual Military Training Office/Troop Schools.
For more information about the DPW Facility Management Class, call 719-725-4938 or email mailto:susan.c.galentine.civ@army.mil.