Ensuring Fort Carson facilities are in good condition and support occupant needs requires a system and labor to address routine maintenance and repairs. The Directorate of Public Works (DPW) operations and maintenance contractor, T&H Services, addresses these issues through the service order process.
Post building occupants can submit routine service orders for maintenance or repair of real property including buildings, roads, sidewalks, streetlights and signs, through the Army Maintenance Application (ArMA). Only emergency issues are called in to the contractor service order desk at 719-526-5345, which is staffed 24/7.
The contractor handles an average of 5,000 service order calls a month, according to T&H Services records, and can run the gamut of lightbulb replacements, changing door locks, heating and air conditioning system adjustments, plumbing issues and roof repairs.
“A proactive approach of notifying DPW, via ArMA, of facility discrepancies the organization or individual is incapable of addressing is a key factor in the contractor’s ability to plan and program both materials and scheduling,” said Jerald “J.J.” Just, DPW base operations contracting officer representative. “It all starts with customers submitting ArMA requests as issues are identified and getting those efforts in the ‘To do’ queue. The adage of ‘Bad news does not get better with time,’ definitely applies.”
Based on tracking data, the top three service calls, in order, are for issues relating to keys and locks, leaks and clogs and building temperatures. Building temperatures are most often raised by occupants during heating and air conditioning season transitions managed by the DPW.
Most building systems across the installation operate in either heating (November-April) or cooling (May-October) mode, which can create headaches with maintaining comfortable temperatures in facilities with Colorado’s unpredictable weather fluctuations.
The DPW refined the service order process a year ago by implementing an appointment system for service orders where issues are in locked spaces, such as barracks rooms and individual offices/administrative spaces. Through ArMA, customers submitting service orders are offered several time slots on the proposed day.
Customers can select a time or request a later date and time. The customer will receive a call and text the day of the appointment verifying availability. Failing to show up for a service order appointment without at least a two-hour advance notification results in appointment cancelation and the need for customers to resubmit the service order.
Since implementing the service order appointment system, DPW has seen a dramatic drop in complaints of timeliness or non-responses, said Just. Given the contractors hours are largely aligned with the Soldiers training days, it only made sense to schedule appointments for service orders. The DPW currently averages 100 service order appointments a week, and in the year since the appointment system has been in place, less than 70 appointments have required rescheduling.
When submitting a service order in ArMA, individuals need to provide a detailed description of the problem, including the exact location, and photos and documents, if applicable.
There are three service order levels of priority:
- Emergency (priority 1) — Emergency service orders are called into the contractor at 719- 526-4320. Emergency work takes priority over all other work and requires immediate action. Emergency service orders are classified as such when they consist of correcting failures/problems which constitute an immediate danger to life, health, safety, security or property. Examples of emergency service orders are overflowing drains, broken water or steam pipes, gas leaks, major utilities service failures, broken electrical components that may cause fire or shock, stopped up toilets (when only one is available for use) and key card failures. The normal response time to emergency work is within one hour, day or night, with completion of the emergency within 24 hours.
- Urgent (priority 2) — Urgent service orders are submitted in ArMA and are required to correct an issue which could become an emergency, could seriously affect morale or has command emphasis. Examples include heating and hot water supply outages, building air conditioning system failures or functional failures of ranges and refrigerators in dining facilities. The contractor makes every effort to respond within 24 hours and accomplish all urgent work within seven working days of receiving the order.
- Routine (priority 3) — Routine service orders are submitted in ArMA and do not meet the categories of emergency or urgent and covers required work which, if not accomplished, would continue to be an inconvenience or unsightly condition. Work in this category is normally accomplished within 30 days of being called in.
Factors that can affect ArMA service order response are incomplete/incorrect information on the order, more urgent priorities, weather conditions, time of day (nights or weekends) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.
For facility issues in housing, Fort Carson Family Homes has its own, separate home maintenance service request system. Residents can place service requests online at https://www.fortcarsonfamilyhomes.com or by calling 719-579-1605.
For more information about placing service orders, determining what priority a building issue is or for assistance, call the contractor service order desk at 719-526-5345.
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