Building maintenance no small task

Published Oct. 26, 2009
By Tech. Sgt. Ethel Horvath
21st Civil Engineer Squadron

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Need repairs in your facility? The 21st Civil Engineer Squadron takes care of a lot of issues, probably more than many realize. With a base population of more than 10,000 and approximately 200 facilities, maintaining Peterson AFB is a daunting task. But, getting something fixed is not just as simple as dropping by the CES customer service. The process begins with the facility manager.

Facility managers are their building primary contact for 21st CES personnel. Under guidelines established by the Air Force Real Property Management, each organization commander is responsible for the care, custody, and protection of assigned real property. Facility managers are the commanders' representatives who contact 21st CES when work is required in a facility. Facility managers are encouraged to be good stewards by performing minor maintenance tasks not requiring specialized crafts.

"It is imperative that facility managers are proactive in maintaining their facility," said Lt. Col. Arno Bischoff, 21st Civil Engineer Squadron commander. "This will aid in keeping the facility in good order and enhance the work environment for the occupants." Therefore, facility managers receive special training and guidance on when to call CE and the proper procedures for submitting work requests.

Currently, work requests are submitted to the 21st CES customer service desk using one of three methods. First, if the work is simple, requires little planning, and is low in cost, a call to the customer service desk will initiate a direct schedule work request. Second, if the work is complex, requires detailed planning or requires more than 50 labor hours to complete, then the work request must be submitted using an AF Form 332, Base Civil Engineer Work Request. Finally, as of Oct. 1, if the facility manager can access 21st CES's new automated AF Form 332 system, on CE Tools Portal, then the facility manager must submit the AF Form 332 via the CE Tools Portal Web site. This system automates the coordination, customer notification, and approval/disapproval process and saves time for all parties. The customer service officer will no longer accept paper based AF Form 332s, and access to CE Tools Portal will only be granted to facility managers.

"Our goal is to aid customers as much as possible and CE Tools portal is a step in the right direction," said Lt. Col. Lori Kabel, 21st CES Operations Flight commander.

Unless there is an emergency, all work requests must be submitted by a facility manager, so it is important to know who the facility manager is. Depending on the nature of work, the request will flow through the CE work request process in different ways.

The CE work request process is dynamic and changes in accordance with the type of work requested by the customer. If the request is a DSW, it is loaded into the CE Interim Work Information Management System and then will be scheduled by individual shops for completion. However, work submitted using a paper based AF Form 332, must be coordinated by the facility manager through different offices or organizations such as the 21st CES Fire Department, the 21st SW Safety Office, and the 21st MDG Bio environmental flight prior to submittal to 21st CES customer service office. Request submitted through the CE Tools Portal will be accepted and sent forward for coordination by 21st CES customer service personnel. Additionally, by law all detailed work requests must be reviewed by the CE environmental flight. Once fully coordinated, the customer service office will receive the work request and schedule it to meet the Work Request Review Board.

Chaired by the 21st CES Operations Flight commander, the WRRB is the next step before approval or disapproval of the AF Form 332 work request. The WRRB meets weekly and discusses each work request. Requesters and facility managers are welcome to attend to advocate for their work request. In the WRRB, the operations flight commander will approve or disapprove the request or send it out for further review. If approved, the method of execution may be, but is not limited to, in-house, programmed for unfunded project, Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineer Requirements contract by request, or the Top 21 Work Order Priority Program.

Each method of execution is designed for different types and scopes of work. The in-house method is designed for work requests well within the operations flight capability but requires planning and scheduling for completion.

By contrast, work requests that are unfunded, extremely detailed, large in scope, or require engineering design are sent to programs development. Requests that are funded and are above operations flight capability, can be sent to SABER for relatively quick execution via contract. In some cases, the requesting organization may choose to fund and hire their own contractor to accomplish smaller projects that are required immediately known as "contract by request." If a facility manager chooses this option, an AF Form 332 must be submitted (including proper documentation) and approved prior to starting work.

Finally, the request may be approved for completion through the Top 21 Work Order Prioritization Program. These work requests are selected by each respective group representative and executed by the operations flight. All 332's (within the operations flight capability) that are approved are put into the Top 21 list for the representative to select. If the representative does not choose the 332, it will be closed. Once all Top 21 work orders have been completed by 21st CES, the representative will be asked to select a new 332. Therefore, if your 332 is closed, ask the representative to make it a priority for the next round. 21st CES can re-open the 332 but only if it is selected by the representative in the next round.

The 21st CES is involved in many aspects of life on Peterson and works hard to provide the necessities and comforts used every day. From electricity, heating, cooling, to the roads driven, 21st CES touches every mission. The facility manager works hand-in-hand with 21st CES to ensure they are provided with the best service possible.