Keeping every aspect of all three of our schools in working order is no easy feat. It requires a vast amount of knowledge about plumbing, carpentry, air quality, water quality, playgrounds, and routine maintenance… not to mention hard work, dedication, and connection to resources when they are needed.
FWSU is fortunate to have Tod Granger as our Director of Buildings and Grounds. Tod has worked in FWSU since 2003 as a facilities manager at GEMS before becoming the Director for all of FWSU in 2010.
Tod’s work is non-stop when students are in session as he oversees the day-to-day tasks that keep the school clean and well-maintained, in addition to the almost daily unexpected events like clogged plumbing or a furnace problem. However, our facilities work is far busier when school is not in session. This is when our staff can work on big projects that are a little too noisy or messy to occur while students and staff are present.
This past summer was no exception. All three schools had major projects underway and, like every other employment area, we had limited staff. Tod oversaw new tile installations, upgrading a nurse's office, replacement of a water line, removal of lockers which were replaced by benches, and the normal summer deep cleaning of all buildings.
“Oversaw” is an understatement. For example, Tod spent many days removing lockers and installing coat hooks in order to free up his staff to take on other duties. Tod even got involved in tile color and placement to give a consistent look to the hallways in each building.
Managing our facilities is not a nine-to-five job. Tod is the first one alerted when an alarm goes off late at night or on the weekend. He has been seen at our schools at 10 PM flushing a water line so he can draw a test sample the next morning at 5 AM. Tod routinely schedules meetings with contractors and vendors on the weekend so work can be done without impacting students.