Auxiliary Adviser

"Providing Services That Power Education"
Volume 1, Issue 3
March 2001

Safety Shoes

The procedure for obtaining steel toe safety shoes for maintenance and operations personnel is as follows:
· Safety shoes can be purchased from Red Wing Shoe Store at 3200 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC
· A footwear authorization form for steel toe safety shoes, signed by your director, must be taken with you in order to purchase the safety shoes.
· An allowance of up to $100 per person per year is available for purchasing safety shoes. If the shoe style you choose costs more than $100, you will be required to pay the difference to Red Wing at the time of purchase. If the shoe style you choose costs less than $100, you will not get the difference.
· Personnel at Red Wing will properly fit you in the shoe or boot appropriate for your job duties.
· Return the receipt that will be give to you at the time of purchase to the director of your department.

Triangle Designs High Performance Public Building Guidelines

Releasing sustainability guidelines for public buildings, a Triangle group joins the US Environmental Protection Agency at the forefront of the nation's efforts to improve the design, construction and operation of public buildings.

"The Triangle is the only place we know of where people are working across jurisdictional boundaries to write and adopt a uniform set of guidelines," said Judy Kincaid, solid waste/materials resources program manager at Triangle J Council of Governments, who led the effort to develop the guidelines.

The group, representing Durham, Orange and Wake Counties, produced the document "High Performance Guidelines: Triangle Region Public Facilities" to save energy and water, reduce the use of materials, reduce indoor pollutants, and save taxpayer dollars. Guidelines cover 45 topics and range from waste management to erosion control.

One-third of the guidelines are accompanied by an example of a local building project. For example, Cherry Huffman Architects incorporated the technology of ice storage to reduce energy use, in the design of Wakefield High School and the Wake County Services Center. Ice is manufactured and stored during the night and used during the day for cooling the building. This shifts electricity use to off-peak times and allows the use of smaller chiller equipment.

Now that the guidelines have been established, a subcommittee will meet to discuss funding and ways to educate the public on the recommended standards. A year from now, the full committee will reconvene to evaluate how local governments and school systems have used the guidelines and make any necessary revisions.

The Wake County Public School System will be one of the first school systems to implement the high performance guidelines. WCPSS will incorporate many of the sustainability guidelines into its new building program, PLAN 2000. "With one of the largest building programs in this jurisdiction, we feel it's important for us to set an example and be responsible with our resources," said Jyoti Sharma, director of facility planning for WCPSS.

The school system gave the high performance guidelines to architects selected for upcoming new school and renovation projects. "We already included energy-efficient features such as daylighting in some schools, this is the next logical step," said Sharma.

The new PLAN 2000 design for a high school in Knightdale will include as many high performance guidelines as possible. The Durant and Dillard Middle design, already equipped with energy-saving features, will also be improved. Innovative Design, the architectural firm that created this particular middle design, will incorporate the guidelines into all their buildings, including the renovation project at Millbrook Elementary in 2003. The Timber Drive Elementary design, used five times, will also be revamped to include high performance guidelines.

"Survive and Thrive"

Wake Education Partnership's 2001 Funds for Education Campaign runs Jan. 22 through Mar. 15. The funds will help schools "survive and thrive." Wake Ed., which encourages business and community involvement in our schools, has set a goal of raising $100,000 in its school and community challenge.

If every WCPSS employee gives $12, the school system will reach its goal of $50,000. The community has pledged to match every dollar the WCPSS donates.

So far, Child Nutrition Services has a 91% participation rate and the Auxiliary Services Division has a 25% participation rate overall.

Please see Aaron Springs (M&O), Beverly Clark (FP&C), or Elaine Hunt (CNS) to contribute or receive more information. Each person that gives is eligible for prizes and gift certificates.

Good Job!

Plumbing Foreman Mark Gibbs wrote a memo recognizing several men in his shop that went above and beyond the call of duty. The memo praising Mike Smith, Harold Narron, Bruce Norris, and Rodney Whitehead, is printed below.

On February 20, 2001, you worked vigorously and consistently on a broken six-inch water main at East Wake High. This water main could have been costly for the school system or even closed school the next day. Instead, all of you worked late into the night, in the mud and in the cold, to keep this from happening.

I want to thank each of you personally for the strong dedication and interest you showed in your job. I appreciate all that you do and especially those tasks, like this one, that many take for granted. Each and every one of you is an asset to the plumbing department and to the Wake County Public School System.

Telecom Update
By Paula, Ray and Carolyn

Year 2000 was the beginning of change in our Telecom Department. Our immediate and most important project is the Telephone Replacement Project. We are formulating a telecom database of all lines and equipment.

We need your assistance in keeping our database accurate. If there is a move or an addition to take place, it is imperative that you call those wonderful people at the Telecom Help Desk - 664-5701. This will greatly reduce some of our repair / installation costs, decrease your downtime, and reduce the need to ask as many questions concerning your lines and equipment.

Hopefully by summer's end, all departments and schools will have their new telephones and features they have requested. It is crucial that all lines and telephones remain in their designated places to keep our information correct and enable us to complete our project on time.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Jerome Morgan on the East Wake High's custodial staff for winning a $50 gift card to Lowe's. Everyone who returned a completed training survey was eligible for the drawing.

Severe Weather

Tips Governor Mike Easley proclaimed Feb. 18 - 24 Severe Weather Awareness Week. A statewide drill was conducted Wed., Feb. 21. Although the designated week has passed, one cannot be too familiar with emergency procedures. "The better prepared we are, the more effectively we can respond when an emergency situation occurs," said Robin Pace, safety officer for the Wake County Public School System.

Severe weather most often arises when two weather systems collide in the spring and summer months. Weather systems that are only a few degrees different in temperature can result in violent winds, hail, thunderstorms and even tornadoes.

Here are some tips for what to do before severe weather strikes and warnings are issued: · Develop an emergency plan for you and your family.
· Prepare a disaster supplies kit.
· Have regular drills to practice your emergency plan
. · Know your location in relationship to the movement of storms.
· Have a NOAA Weather Radio with back-up.

Always keep a basic emergency supplies kit on hand. Don't wait until a severe storm watch or warning is issued before assembling a supplies kit. Go ahead and put one together in a portable container and store it in an accessible, safe place. The kit should include:
· Water, about one gallon per person a day.
· Enough canned food for the family to last three to seven days.
· A hand-operated can opener.
· Special foods and supplies for infants and elderly.
· Battery-powered radio and extra batteries.
· Flashlight and extra batteries.
· First aid kit.
· Necessary prescription drugs.
· Copies of important papers (insurance policies, deeds, etc.)

A watch will be issued well in advance of a severe weather event to alert the public of the possibility of a particular hazard, such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, flash and river floods, winter storms, or heavy snows. If a tornado watch is issued, you should:
· Stay tuned to a local radio or television station or listen to NOAA Weather Radio.
· Secure any loose objects outdoors or move them inside.
· Survey your immediate surroundings for the most suitable shelter.
· Be alert for changing weather conditions. Tornadoes can occur in conjunction with thunderstorms that produce severe hail.

A warning is forecast when severe weather has developed, is already occurring and reported, or is detected on radar. Warnings state a particular hazard or imminent danger. If a tornado warning is issued, or you have an indication that a tornado may be approaching, TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. The safest place in a home is on the lowest level of the home, in an interior room away from windows and outside walls. This may be a bathroom, interior closet or under a stairway. People in tall buildings should take shelter in interior hallways, away from windows. Stay away from vehicles. Do not try to out-run a tornado. Leave your mobile home and seek shelter in a sturdy building.

For more information regarding school system emergency procedures, please contact Robin Pace at 856-8141 or e-mail rpace@wcpss.net. Another source for emergency information is the North Carolina Emergency Management Division's website (www.ncem.org).

Auxiliary Services Division Training Dates

OSHA 10 Hour (1910)
Mar. 6, 12:30 - 5 p.m.
Mar. 7, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Commons Bldg.

First Aid/CPR
Mar. 21
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Red Cross Facility

First Aid/CPR
Mar. 22
8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Red Cross Facility

HAZCOM
Apr. 18
8 a.m. - 12 Noon
Commons Bldg.

Stairways and Ladders
Apr. 24
8 - 9 a.m.
Commons Bldg.

Confined Spaces/ Lockout Tag-out
May 3
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Commons Bldg.

OSHA 10 Hour (1926)
May 22, 8 a.m. - 12 Noon
May 24, 12:30 - 5 p.m.
Commons Bldg.

To register, please contact Malinda Ferrell at 856-8078, or e-mail, mwferrell@wcpss.net.

Upcoming Events
· National School Breakfast Week, March 5 - 9
· National Nutrition Month, March
· Employee Recognition & Awards Reception, April 3, 2:30 - 5 p.m., at the Commons Bldg.

Adult Basic Education

Anyone interested in learning to read or improve their math, reading or writing skills, should contact Judy Cox at 664-5728.

E-mail Bulletin Boards

Due to limited e-mail storage space, newsletters will be posted on a Tao e-mail bulletin board. To view the bulletin board, follow these steps:
· Log-on to your Tao e-mail account
· Click on bulletin board, listed on the left side of the screen
· This action will bring up a list of bulletin boards in the center of the window
· Double-click on Auxiliary.Services to view postings
· Double-click on the item that you wish to view

If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Wood at 856-8036 or e-mail kwood@wcpss.net.

Stay Informed

Subscribe to the Auxiliary Adviser and stay informed of important issues and events in the Auxiliary Services Division. To subscribe, e-mail kwood@wcpss.net, with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line. The newsletter will be e-mailed to you on a monthly basis.

If you do not wish to subscribe, you can also find the Adviser on the Tao bulletin board for auxiliary services. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Kristin Wood at 856-8036.

Auxiliary Services Division
Vision
Providing Services That Power Education

Mission Statement
Provide quality facilities and support services to ensure safe, healthy, inviting and optimal learning environments.

Goals
1) Recruit and retain qualified employees
2) Secure funding to provide quality facilities and support services
3) Provide a safe and comfortable working environment