Within a week of joining Farmingdale State College (FSC) in 2017 as vice president for administration and chief financial officer I was treated to my first emergency. A payloader moving through a construction site behind Ward Hall had crushed a gas line. When I arrived on the scene, I found at least 20 people, some rushing in one direction or another with very long valve tools and crudely drawn maps, others blocking off the area from pedestrian traffic, and a few talking hurriedly with official-looking workers in hard hats and reflective vests, all while a plume of natural gas spewed from the ground, stirring up dust and debris. In a word, it was chaos.
Amidst this, then-Director of Physical Plant John Dzinanka loomed large. His commanding presence embodied a calm serenity that only comes from years of experience and the fact that no matter what was going on, he’d seen it all before. He was issuing directives (barking orders, if you knew John), directing traffic and coordinating with each emergency crew arriving on the scene, all while relaying information to me, the president, and University Police. There could be no doubt, he was in charge. To my unconditioned eyes, this was an extraordinary situation, but, after eight years on the FSC campus, I’ve learned that this was just another day for the Facilities Operations crew.
Since that sunny afternoon in June, FSC has seen significant change, from new programs and new facilities to new organizational structures and now a new president. FSC continues to evolve, and through it all we are fortunate to have the support, the dedication, and the unwavering professionalism of the Facilities Operations team, led by Director Mark Orlich, ’83, ’87.
The work of Facilities Operations ranges from the emergent to the mundane, and occasionally the comical. From chasing gas leaks or escaping rodents to shoveling snow or changing light bulbs, there is not a single person on this campus who doesn’t benefit from the work of this department each and every day.
Yet, so much of their work happens under the radar and outside the immediate view of the larger campus community. As it should, says Orlich. From the depths of the sanitary sewer system or the dark recesses of the campus steam tunnels, our dedicated employees endure harsh and inhospitable conditions so that the rest of the campus can live, work, and learn in relative comfort.
Few tasks are as critical, and environmentally challenging, as the process of clearing the snow from the nearly 400-acre campus. Preparations and planning begin days in advance of a pending weather event, and plow crews are often called in to respond in the middle of the night, starting work at 2 a.m. so the campus can open that morning.
“The work of facilities operations ranges from the emergent to the mundane, and occasionally the comical...There is not a single person on this campus who doesn’t benefit from the work of this department each and every day.” Gregory O'Connor, Executive Vice President and CFO
Nature isn’t the only challenge the campus faces. Whether it’s steam leaks, water main breaks, electrical outages, or mechanical failures, the FSC campus always has a surprise in store. Tracking down and repairing the infrastructure that keeps this campus running is a 24/7/365 job.
The Facilities Operations Department, a talented team of plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and HVAC technicians, is at the heart of everything we do on campus. They truly keep our world running. They keep our buildings clean, relocate campus staff from office to office and building to building, and ensure that our offices, classrooms, and labs are safe, comfortable, and secure, all while ensuring compliance with a wide range of policies, regulations, and guidelines.
In recent years, we have turned more focused attention on energy use and ways to promote more sustainable practices on campus. Whether it’s the new air-source heat pump chillers, planned geothermal projects, and the adoption of LED lighting technology or efforts to improve recycling, and reduce waste and the use of plastic across campus, FSC is indeed going green!
Each spring, the grounds crews affectionately tend the gardens, lawns, and planting beds, turning the soil to prepare for a new season of growth. Seasons pass, and FSC continues to grow and evolve. So, whether walking on campus in the summer or returning with a renewed spirit in the fall, embrace the opportunity for rejuvenation that is at the core of what we do here at Farmingdale, all of which is made possible thanks to the careful attention of Facilities Operations.
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