HVAC provides comfort for the base

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Janine Thibault
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  With the onset of temperatures diving below zero, the 354th Civil Engineering Squadron heating ventilation air conditioning shop has become increasingly visible.

The Airmen of the HVAC shop perform a variety of tasks on-base to ensure people stay warm during the winter. They perform maintenance on an assortment of machines ranging from furnaces to steam lines, and whenever the occasion presents itself they respond to emergency calls that involve HVAC systems.

Emergencies are characterized by the outside temperature being below a certain number, complete loss of heat in the building and potential danger or damage to a person or equipment.

Occasionally, in the event another shop needs assistance, the HVAC team has stepped into that position to help fellow Airmen.

With the increased demand during winter, the HVAC shop is in operation for eight to 10 hour shifts. After duty hours two people are on-call and cover the stand-by phones.

"Besides taking care of equipment, we provide heat to the actual customers themselves. HVAC is very mission essential. Of course, you'll be more productive in a climate controlled environment than you would be working in -30 to -40 degree temperatures," said Technical Sgt. Michael Cherry, the 354th CES/HVAC crew three NCOIC.

The HVAC shop is broken into four crews. The Airmen respond based on their specialty as controls crew, heat, steam and furnaces, and refrigeration and air conditioning.

"It never gets boring. There's always something different. I like working with my hands and getting hands on experience," said Airman 1st Class Jarrett Myles, a 354th CES/HVAC crew one refrigeration and air conditioning technician.

When presented with a complication it is necessary that the Airmen troubleshoot to find the solution. The environment of the shop allows for issues to be discussed for a solution.

"Teamwork is really important. We might go out to a job by ourselves, but when we come back to the shop we can consult different workers and get advice on how to get jobs done. We work really well together in the shop," said Airman Myles, a native of Hazlehurst, Georgia.

In additions to learning from experience the Airmen must also remain aware of changes made to the systems.

"There's actually a lot of training because things are always evolving," said Sergeant Cherry, a native of Millbrook, Alabama. "Things now are going more digital. Going digital doesn't mean the HVAC crews can relax. They are still held responsible for knowing the systems because not everything can go digital and mechanical failures are always a possibility. They will still need to be able to get in there with a wrench and take care of any problem."

There are safety concerns that the HVAC Airmen are aware of including steam, harsh temperatures and other hazardous situations. Safety measures are implemented for the Airmen to keep them safe, however, one concern the HVAC shop has is for the safety of the public.

Sometimes people try to fix things on their own and that can be dangerous. When dealing with steam there could be up to 85 pounds running from 350 degrees up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

"If the public sees anything with steam keep your distance and call the HVAC guys," said Sergeant Cherry.

The 354th CES/HVAC team maintains operating conditions on base to allow Airmen to work and live in comfort.