Facilities A–Z

The HVAC shop provides maintenance and repair to all College air conditioning systems and refrigeration.

Members of the campus community with concerns about asbestos are encouraged to contact a member of the Facilities team.

Bulletin Boards are available for purchase for the placement of posters, displays, signs and other similar materials. Bulletin boards may be installed as a reimbursable service. An account number or purchase order is required prior to installation. The College discourages affixing posters, signs, or banners to buildings, trees, lamp posts, or other outdoor structures.

The Carpentry Shop provides routine maintenance and repair of windows, screens, doors, and floors. The carpentry shop’s priority is maintenance and repair. Non-maintenance projects – such as construction of bookshelves – will be prioritized as scheduling allows on a reimbursable basis.

Construction Trades is responsible for repairing frayed or damaged carpet, and installing replacement carpet when it is required. Carpet is inspected annually to insure that it serviceable. For economic reasons carpet will not be replaced until it has reached the end of its service life. All carpet used in College buildings must conform to the fire code. Requests to change a floor surface from any other material to carpet will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Members of the campus community who have concerns about building safety or code issues are encouraged to contact a member of the Facilities team.

Drawings of College facilities and utilities are maintained on file at Facilities Department.

Cost estimates for repair or renovation projects under consideration will be provided when authorized by the Director. Cost estimating beyond the capability or resources of the Facilities Department that requires hiring a consultant may be provided as a reimbursable service.

The Facilities Department administers a service contract for all elevators on campus. The contract includes inspection, preventative maintenance, and repairs. All repairs involving an interruption of service are coordinated with departments to minimize inconvenience. Any emergency involving an elevator should be reported to Campus Safety at 860-297-2222.

Some situations are considered emergencies and require prompt attention to avoid danger to health, damage to property, or major inconvenience. Heating problems, serious roof or pipe leaks, and power failures are examples of problems requiring emergency service. When reporting and emergency be sure to give you name and to specify the nature and location of the problem as precisely as possible. In the event of an emergency during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. call the Facilities Department at 860-297-2444. During nights, weekends, and holidays call Campus Safety at 860-297-2222.

The Facilities Help Desk is responsible for receiving all questions concerning the status of work (facilities related) and routing all facilities requests for service at 860-297-2444 or [email protected]. Authorized work is scheduled based on the following Facilities Department system: Emergency, Essential Operations, Preventive Maintenance and Scheduled Work. Work may be performed by either in-house employees or by contractors.

The Facilities Department maintains and services all fire extinguishers in campus buildings. Anyone noticing a discharged, missing, or misplaced fire extinguisher are encouraged to contact the Facilities Help Desk.

Campus Fire Safety promotes fire prevention and life safety awareness by offering training, educational programs, and informational resources; by conducting inspections of academic, administrative and residential facilities; and by providing expert guidance on fire and life safety code issues.

The Facilities Department provides services for the selection and procurement of furniture, equipment and interior finishes in support of the College departments and capital projects. Contact the main office at 860-297-2444 for assistance.

Funding for new furniture is generally reimbursable and funded by the requesting department. The Facilities Department does not receive an annual budget allocation for furnishings replacement. The Facilities Department negotiates significant discounts with a multitude of vendors. In addition to cost and functionality, the facilities staff ensure appropriate durability and guarantee that ergonomic, fire code, handicap access code and other requirements are incorporated into the design and selection process, and that aesthetics are considered for both immediate use and future flexibility.

The HVAC Shop provides routine maintenance and repair of heating and ventilation systems.

Special moving services may be requested: faculty office moves, moving of large shipments, moves due to renovations, or moves for College events. All moves, which will be scheduled as time permits, are reimbursable services.

Name plates and signs for doors, offices, labs and specific areas in buildings will be made and installed in accordance with the College’s general graphics standard. Special signs may be requested by placing a work request from the Facilities Help Desk 860-297-2444 or [email protected] as a reimbursable service.

Painting and patching of campus buildings is scheduled when conditions require it.

The Department of Facilities is responsible for the control of pests and administers the annual pest control contract for the extermination of insects. This responsibility includes, but is not limited to rodent, insect, ant, bat, and squirrel infestations. Student rooms, offices, and classrooms are routinely inspected and serviced as needed.

Trinity College has no central receiving. Receiving of deliveries by outside trucking firms, including the unloading and storage of a shipment, are the responsibility of the department ordering the shipment. If a department expects a large delivery and will need help unloading, the Grounds staff will provide assistance if notified three days in advance of delivery. This will be treated as a reimbursable service.

Departments ordering shipments from outside the College and using commercial truckers to deliver such shipment(s) should specify the following on the shipping order:

• Notify in advance the delivery date, the time of delivery, and the location of delivery.
• Deliver the shipment inside the designated building.
• The Facilities department will call the shipment’s originating department if the commercial trucker delivering the shipment stops at the Facilities Department for instructions/directions.

Trinity College Recycling is responsible for the collection, processing, storage and marketing of all recyclable materials in residential, academic and administrative facilities. The Custodial and Grounds Shops are tasked with the collection and disposal of recyclables. The College recycles mixed paper, cardboard, newsprint, glossy paper, all bottles and cans, used motor oil, scrap metal, leaves, and used laser cartridges.

Reimbursable Services
Reimbursable services are services rendered to departments, groups, and individuals for which the Facilities Department does not receive a budget allocation, and which must be paid for by the requestor. Facilities charges for reimbursable services are billed at actual cost. Examples include: additions of special equipment; departmental trucking and moving; minor alterations to structures or areas or services not considered essential to the basic operation of the building; moving of departmental office furniture; painting or redecorating other than regular maintenance; special services; and student damages.

Non-Reimbursable Services
Services for which the Facilities Department receives an annual budget allocation are provided at no charge. The services are limited to College property and include: maintenance and repair of buildings, non-event custodial services, maintenance of landscaping and grounds, maintenance of assigned vehicles and the maintenance and operation of utility distribution systems.

Each snowstorm has its own unique characteristics, depending upon the time of year, the intensity of the storm, and the type of snow, the depth of snowfall, and other variable conditions. Therefore, our snow policy provides basic guidelines to manage the storm but also maintains flexibility for adjustments in the field.

It is the policy of the Facilities Department to have parking lots, sidewalks, handicap ramps and pathways to main building entrances cleared by the start of classes on weekdays and by midday on weekends or earlier in the event of a major event on campus. Special attention is paid to cleaning accessible routes and parking for disabled persons.

After the main access points have been plowed, the snow removal crews will focus on widening paths, clearing minor pathways, salting walkways, removing ice build-up and, in case of heavy accumulation, removing snow banks in parking lots. These operations may last for several days after the cessation of the storm.

The College utilizes a number of snow removal methods:

Plowing:
Snow is removed by vehicles with plows in parking lots and on some major sidewalks. Care is given to avoiding damage to parked cars and landscaping. Wherever possible, snow is stored to minimize inconvenience. However in many instances, snow must be stored in one or more parking spaces, thus temporarily reducing lot capacity. Equipment cannot plow between parked cars, thereby limiting removal efforts in residence halls parking lots. Special attention is paid to plowing so that melt-off and drainage are facilitated

Shoveling:
The custodial staff in will shovel snow on stairs and entry ways to the buildings.

Storm Aftermath and Ice Control:
In the aftermath of a storm, crews regularly de-ice sidewalks to lessen the possibility of ice. As melting permits, crews will break up ice and remove it. Most snow removal efforts after a storm are accomplished with Grounds personnel during normal working hours.

If the ground is to be punctured by tent or volleyball stakes, fence posts, or any other means, an underground utility line may be damaged. Liability costs associated with this type of damage, which can involve loss of life, can be extreme and are the sole responsibility of the vendor. Everyone planning to break ground is required to contact the Facilities Department at Trinity College at least three (3) days before breaking ground. The owners then mark out the utility lines, if any, and notify the Calendar Office with a “utilities marked” or an “all clear.” Local tent renters are aware of these procedures and will contact Facilities Department. They will not erect their tents at Trinity until a survey of the utilities has been completed.

College owned vehicles are provided to facilitate College business and may be reserved online (with prior authorization) via the College’s Event Management System (EMS). All members of the Trinity community who are eligible to reserve a College vehicle must be an approved driver. Approved driver forms are available through the Assistant Controller’s Office. The use of the College’s eleven passenger vans will require a special authorization.http://reservations.trincoll.edu/virtualems/