In public service the two most visible groups are usually the police and fire departments. They wear uniforms, are very well trained and market their efforts very well. They are comfortable in the spotlight and certainly earn all of the attention they get for putting their lives on the line in service of others every day. Imagine if the fire department has no water to put out fires or police had unmaintained vehicles. What if the buildings in which they are stationed were in poor condition? How about roads and streets that are almost impassable due to vegetation and debris? Thankfully we do not have to wonder “what if” as all of these things are taken care of by maintenance workers, a dedicated group of heroes who generally wear dirt to get their work done.

Today’s maintenance worker is often a misunderstood but vital part of your public works team. They are better educated than their predecessors and are no longer hired from the “neck down.” Maintenance workers are generally unsung, not because no one notices but because they prefer it that way. They have a good understanding of how things operate and are very opinionated in their beliefs on how things should operate. This can make it difficult at times to get the best out of them individually and as part of your public works team.

In today’s challenging municipal service environment, marketing has become a big part of public works strategy. Marketing has not traditionally been associated with maintenance and is long overdue. As we know, maintenance is generally an afterthought to those who are not in the public works business until a part of the infrastructure doesn’t function properly. Maintenance workers tend to be on the front lines of this effort as they are the most visible to the public. These dedicated, hard-working maintenance people are the face of not only their public works departments but generally the entire organization for which they work. Getting them to understand their daily impact on the lives of others and marketing their skills, successes and products builds the public trust and improves service delivery.

Public works maintenance staff can be the forgotten first responders in addition to keeping the infrastructure functioning on a daily basis. They tend to be there first on scene and be the last to leave. In emergencies they tend to not be in the limelight, but are needed. As we can see from the Haiti earthquake tragedy, an emergency response without them is not very effective.

Our Heros Wear Dirt

By Glenn Akramoff, Public Works Director, City of Covington, WA

Public works departments must do more to make sure everyone knows that we are here to serve not only the public but our peers in the emergency response. Waiting for someone to ask for our service is not enough. Our maintenance staff members are well trained and always perform at their best when under pressure. We need to utilize them to the fullest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In recent years the maintenance field has evolved into a diverse and highly valued profession through the many certification and degree programs offered throughout the country. Maintenance personnel can choose specializing in water, wastewater, surface water, solid waste, street, signs and markings, signal and streetlight, fleet, facility and parks maintenance, or in many small organizations can be generalists by working some in all areas. The operations and maintenance field has not only the responsibility of serving all of the citizenry but each function of its own organization in some way. The infrastructure is their domain and they protect it fiercely. They know how it operates and how to get the most out of it. In the face of budget cuts and constant requests to lengthen the life of all components of infrastructure, the innovation shown by this group on a daily basis is nothing short of amazing.

While maintenance workers can often seem unapproachable and defensive, they are a passionate and caring group. A few years ago, in a city in Washington, a seasonal maintenance worker’s wife passed away not long after he had arrived at work. More than one of his fellow workers volunteered to take him home and stay with him as long as he needed. The whole team helped him through the mourning process over the next six months. They all attended the services and raised over $1,500 for their teammate. Not one of them would even discuss their own efforts; they all said it was part of the job. I am sure many of you have stories very similar as this is the way of the heroes who wear dirt.

 

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