Facility maintenance personnel

[brian john]

I use caution in stating this, because facility maintenance personnel are part of my bread and butter, I/we make money because these folks know less than we do (I HOPE). But here it is Friday before Christmas, several employees off work, and I get the call I just knew was coming.

Building engineer just called 9:45 AM, ?I was in my electric room yesterday and smelled something that smelled like burning insulation, could you have someone come check it out NOW.?

I smelled it yesterday and you call today, let?s see either you?re the dumbest engineer on the face of the earth, or you just don?t give a rat?s behind, or you are intentionally trying to upset me or you get your jollies seeing someone run to answer your beckon call.

My tech (luckily I had a tech downtown) just called to say one clue is the lights were out in the electric room (engineer forgot to mention this) and he fried a ballast, tripped the CB. Engineers answer ?guess I will replace the ballast on Tuesday.?


Why did I know this call was coming, because it seems to happen at least once or twice a year right before a holiday.

 

[edamico11]

Brian,,,,

Brian,,,,

Don't sweat it,, This is part of Christmas engineering lore. I have multiple crews out doing touring shows and every Christmas some "act" scares everyone saying, "your are not going home for Christmas until we get this show right"!! Usually very emphatically. This leads to guys calling me all upset,, me calling producers,, producer calling Executive producers etc... etc...

anyway you get the point,,, and every year,,,, everything,,,, somehow works out,, and all is right with the world.........

I combat this phenomenon with 3/4 coffee and 1/4 Baileys,, in the morning and 1/2 coke and 3/4 rum in the afternoon..

Works everytime... Have a happy to you and yours,,

Stressed most of the time, but not today!!!
ed

 

[satcom]

Here is how it worked,

Right after lunch, called everyone in, i need coverage over the holiday, if you cet a call, i don,t care if it takes 10 minutes for a reset, you get 8 hours at holiday pay, is anyone intrested, all hands up!, with that out of the way, tell them to leave after lunch, in a quiet manner, and please not all at once.

Results,

Call in's were made, and everyone was pleased.

 

[mpross]

building engineer..... engineer?

building engineer..... engineer?

I smelled it yesterday and you call today, let?s see either you?re the dumbest engineer on the face of the earth, or you just don?t give a rat?s behind, or you are intentionally trying to upset me or you get your jollies seeing someone run to answer your beckon call.

What does it really take to be a building engineer? Is there any formal education associated with this title? I guess that being an engineer doesn't always mean the same thing, or maybe it does.

Are there any building engineers out there that have an engineering degree from an ABET school or other similar type of accreditation? I am curious as to what type of degree(s) it takes to be a building engineer.

Matt
-On Christmas break in IA. Merry Christmas to all!

 

[mdshunk]

What does it really take to be a building engineer?

I think a lot of that jargon is hanging on from when the "chief engineer" was the guy in charge of the steam boilers, and had a stationary engineer's license. The stationary engineers were, in times of old, generally the most educated of building maintenance personnel, and often ended up with the boss job of the whole facilities department. In modern times, building engineers are mostly managers of day to day maintenance people, purchasers of repair parts, and callers of subcontractors.

 

[problemsolver600]

Ged

Ged

Most of the adds I see in the Chicago area for facility maintenance start with high school diploma or G.E.D., and ability to follow instructions.
Most of the pay for those jobs, especially in health care and educational facilities, is commesurate with the pay, but the responsibilities go way beyond that.

 

[brian john]

In Washington DC there is a 3rd class and 1st class steam license, Requires educatrion and time in trade, in the burbs not as tough though many engineers I know come from the District. Others are HVAC techs and electricians.