It has been a long and sometimes frustrating process to design and install a new fire alarm system for our building. It has been nearly a year since a lightning strike and power surge damaged our system. Over that period the work on a new system has proceeded, often in fits and starts. Just as we have been challenged by the pandemic, our contractor has also been impacted. We were hopeful that the work would have been completed in May, but that was not to be. That said, we can safely say the end is in sight. Nearly all of the various components have been installed and wired. The new alarm panels have been powered to allow programming to be conducted. Soon the system installation and final testing will be completed and we can get back to normal building use. Grace takes many forms!
Even with our relatively dry spring, there has been plenty of grounds work to keep our somewhat small, but willing group of volunteers busy tending to the grass, the trimmings, the plantings, the bushes, and whatever. As always, regardless of the season, we have also continued to take on property related building tasks inside and around the building. There is always something to do, and many of these task languish on the "to-do" list. The fact is that we do not typically have enough volunteers available to do all that needs to be done. As normal building use returns, some of these needs will become more apparent and visible. Some might ask, "Why not just plan and work off the items on the list?" It just isn't that simple.
A couple of months ago, I developed a description of what the Property Team does. It may or may not be complete. The description was intended to be a starting point for discussions on some better approaches to dealing with all that needs to be done. We have not yet devised new approaches, but I think it could be useful to distribute this description more widely so that we all can gain more insight on what it takes to keep a relatively large facility such as ours functional and safe, particularly when we depend so heavily upon volunteers. Perhaps the list will inspire some of you readers to seek more information on details and to get involved at some level as a Property Team volunteer. Here is what we typically do, regularly, periodically, from time-to-time and as needed.
Weekly inside, Thursday Group ... includes some things not typically covered by our cleaning service
- Change water in baptismal font. Clean the font.
- Put things back in place in Sanctuary, as needed.
- Generally pick up papers, extraneous materials left behind in Sanctuary
- Clean up any spills, messes as needed
- Clean smudges, etc off glass at main entrance doors and sliding doors at Sanctuary entrance
- Clean up around the kitchen sink area, counters, island
- Check refrigerator(s) and dispose of spoiled, dated, extraneous items
- Check cabinets for items that need to be pitched,
- Change light bulbs as needed where reasonably accessible
- Minor repairs and maintenance (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, whatever) as needed.
- Keep storage areas in reasonable order
- Test a portion of the emergency lights
- Remove spider webs in difficult to reach areas
Weekly outside ... Thursday Group (seasonal)
- Mow grass
- remove grass clippings from walks and drives
- Trim bushes, trees, brush
- Remove leaves, branches, debris, trash
- Maintain gardens, plantings
- Minor outside repairs
- Keeping equipment in order and operable
- Keep storage barn in order
- Minor snow removal in season
Periodically inside ... Typically Thursday Group and other volunteers
- Coordinate/assist with aerial lift to change light bulbs in the high overhead areas of the Sanctuary or to do other work in these overhead areas
- Put up, take down, store seasonal decorations. Assist other teams with similar tasks (eg banners from the Iron Ring, the mobile above the baptismal font).
- Resolve inspection issues such as Fire Department findings, utility matters
- Heating system routine maintenance and repairs
- Plumbing and electrical repairs, modifications
- Coordinate repairs and services with contractors (eg, sump pumps, dehumidifier, carpet cleaning, painting, plumbers, electricians)
- Install and remove window air conditioner units
- Move, remove furniture
- Wash windows
- Deploy salt buckets, snow shovels for winter, and putting them away in the spring
- Work to resolve emergent issues such as the mouse problems this winter
Periodically outside ....Typically Thursday Group and other volunteers
- Raise and strike the tent. Take tent in and out of storage (spring and fall)
- Wash windows (target spring and fall)
- Get air conditioners out of storage, return them to storage (spring and fall)
- Clean gutters (spring?)
- Store hoses, get hoses out of storage (spring and fall)
- Gas, service mowers, snow blower, trimmers, etc for their seasons. De-gas and store in off-seasons.
- Minor outside repairs to building (siding, doors, trash bins, etc)
- Coordinate with contractors for work such as parking lot and drive maintenance and repair, lawn chemicals, snow plowing and salt applications
- Coordinate/perform special projects work such as the work in summer/fall 2020 to pour concrete step-off pads at several fire doors to resolve fire department inspection findings
Ad Hoc projects/activities ...Typically Thursday Group and other volunteers
- Take action as needed to support resolutions to issues such as the lightning strike damage in 2020, gas utility issues requiring us to provide ice and snow protection over our gas meter and to modify the gas line penetrations through our building walls, and others
- Place contracts for engineering, architectural studies, and equipment installation for a new fire alarm system to replace the system damaged by the lightning strike.
- Obtain, evaluate, report on bids for outside services. Coordinate work by outside service contractors
- Obtain, evaluate, report on costs for equipment or repairs to same
- Coordinate/support special projects such as the new Wiggle Room, new Conference Room, moving of Sanctuary chairs to support floor cleaning, relocation of the choir, piano, organ