Photo By David White | EISENHOWER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, FORT GORDON, Ga., April 12, 2023 -- HVAC Team Lead,...... read more read more
David M. White
Public Affairs Office
Eisenhower Army Medical Center
EISENHOWER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, FORT GORDON, Ga., April 12, 2023 -- The medical and clinical staff at Eisenhower Army Medical Center treats the patients. The maintenance department treats the building that supports the needs of the healers serving within its walls.
Overseen by the Facilities Department, headed by Daryle Meddings, EAMC’s maintenance team is the responsibility of the contractor, Facilities Services Management Inc., under the watchful eye of FSI’s local boss, Jeff Hansen, who has been at EAMC for four years.
The maintenance team understands that if nobody notices you, everything's going well. “That's the way we see it,” said Hansen. “We just quietly work in the background and try to keep everybody as happy and safe as we can. There's definitely a lot that goes into that.”
The team consists of skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, locksmiths, mechanics and painters.
For Adam Gulledge, a fire alarm technician, the job is “keeping people safe. I do take satisfaction in that.”
Gulledge, certified by the National Institute for Certification in Engineering, worked on the life-safety systems on all of Fort Gordon before coming to EAMC.
“I also work on other electronic systems depending on the equipment.”
And if he didn’t come to work? “The building would fall down,” Gulledge said with a laugh.
Chuck Rikard is a highly qualified locksmith, according to Hansen. He has been at EAMC for 34 years.
“Back in ‘99 when the contractor got this job,” Rikard said, “the hospital was in need of a dedicated locksmith. I was able to do locksmith-type work, and they asked me to take over some of the duties, and it just morphed over the next couple of decades.”
While not a professionally licensed trade like an electrician or a plumber, locksmiths require “different types of training,” he said. “You do need a DOD certification.”
The training is a two-week program in Nicholasville, Ky., focusing on “safes and vaults, big filing cabinets.”
Retired after 27 years in the Navy, the former E7 gunner’s mate, Rikard’s job satisfaction comes from “something as simple as [staff members being able to] lock up valuables in a desk and go to lunch. On the patient side,” Rikard said, “making sure the patient’s door locks … some of that is obviously security but it’s also patient safety.”
“Everyone ‘s such a valuable asset to our team,” said Hansen.
For example, “when they’re hot or cold, I’m everybody’s friend,” said Preston Prescott, HVAC technician.
At EAMC for about 16 years, Prescot said, he “likes to keep people comfortable in bad situations, and if you’re in the hospital, [most of the time] it ain’t a good thing. I try to treat everyone like they’re my grandmomma.”
But don’t envision Prescot crawling through the ductwork like John McClain in the “Die Hard” movies.” It doesn’t work that way, he said, “but I do have to squeeze in some of those spaces like a rattlesnake.”
Carpenter Eddie Perryman must know the codes. Not the secret codes but the building construction codes. His duties include placement and proper construction and maintenance of the firewalls.
“My dad and I,” said Perryman, “were [building] contractors [at Fort Gordon] for quite a few years. Ultimately, I came to work at Eisenhower 17 years ago.
For Perryman, coming to Eisenhower allows him to put down roots.
“I used to travel to jobs all over the southeast, and when this job came available, I was ready to take it.”
Aside from not being on the road, he said, “a good day is mainly because of the people here at EAMC and making sure we’re always prepared for something like the Joint Commission.”
Also, a 17-year veteran of Eisenhower, Austin Steed, serves on the carpentry team.
“There’s always something new to learn,” Steed said … “a new can of worms to learn, a new door, new closing system.”
Pushing 60, Steed is ready to spend time with family but recognizes the good work environment at Eisenhower.
“[EAMC] has good people, good bosses, good secretaries,” he said.
Helping Hansen keep the workflow moving smoothly is David Shipes, foreman, who oversees the specialty groups, electricians, HVAC technicians, among others.
“My job is to make sure they’re getting their jobs done in a timely manner, maintaining work orders, and with [good] customer satisfaction.”
Working on base for 17 years and at Eisenhower for four years, Shipes “tries to save energy, make sure the controls are working … make it run more efficiently.”
The men featured above are not lone wolves, said Hansen. They all work within teams of other similar trades. The small teams work together to create the big team that ensures Eisenhower is safe, comfortable and functioning properly … ready every day to do its mission of healing.
| Date Taken: | 04.11.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.17.2023 10:20 |
| Story ID: | 442482 |
| Location: | AUGUSTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 108 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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