1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,389 I'm Travis Hanson, and I work for Facilities Management 2 00:00:03,389 --> 00:00:06,255 I have been a lead mechanic for 3 00:00:06,255 --> 00:00:09,900 food service for just about ten years. 4 00:00:09,900 --> 00:00:14,580 Don't you remember Travis when COVID first became 5 00:00:14,580 --> 00:00:17,925 a thing that everybody was pulling their hair out 6 00:00:17,925 --> 00:00:21,510 over and and you realize that, 7 00:00:21,510 --> 00:00:24,465 hey, this is going to affect what I do? 8 00:00:24,465 --> 00:00:28,530 Yes. Yes, In the beginning, you got 9 00:00:28,530 --> 00:00:29,340 a lot worse than what I 10 00:00:29,340 --> 00:00:30,540 thought it was. I didnt think it was 11 00:00:30,540 --> 00:00:34,405 no big deal when it was first hearing about. How did it get worse, 12 00:00:34,405 --> 00:00:37,115 As it got closer to North Dakota. You know, 13 00:00:37,115 --> 00:00:42,875 You could see it when they show on TV. The numbers. 14 00:00:42,875 --> 00:00:43,675 Yeah. 15 00:00:43,675 --> 00:00:46,280 And the one that got high numbers in 16 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,745 North Dakota and then I got my furlough. 17 00:00:49,745 --> 00:00:50,960 Notice. We were going to be 18 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,120 furloughed for the summer because 19 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,920 everything was shutting down. Got to be worrisome. 20 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,770 Worrisome in that you 21 00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:02,900 were out of a job for awhile or Yeah. 22 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:05,990 For the furlough would be May 15th, 23 00:01:05,990 --> 00:01:09,740 It was supposed to be till August 15, 24 00:01:09,740 --> 00:01:14,510 but I was called back early to hang plexiglass in all of 25 00:01:14,510 --> 00:01:17,210 the cafeterias and a lot of 26 00:01:17,210 --> 00:01:21,005 classrooms and a lot of lecture halls. Talk about what 27 00:01:21,005 --> 00:01:22,310 What sorts of things did 28 00:01:22,310 --> 00:01:23,885 you do when you were brought back? 29 00:01:23,885 --> 00:01:26,300 We'd get drawings from 30 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:30,485 capital projects of all each space that we were doing. 31 00:01:30,485 --> 00:01:32,240 And we'd have to 32 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:36,935 measure or plexiglass sheets. So, we we're gonna be hang. 33 00:01:36,935 --> 00:01:39,350 We'd usually spend two days of 34 00:01:39,350 --> 00:01:42,095 the week cutting up plexiglass panels. 35 00:01:42,095 --> 00:01:44,855 And then we spend the rest of week installing them, 36 00:01:44,855 --> 00:01:46,550 either hanging from the ceiling 37 00:01:46,550 --> 00:01:51,440 or freestanding, making legs worm. 38 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:53,794 If there's a big enough countertop. 39 00:01:53,794 --> 00:01:57,725 What other sorts of work did you find yourself doing? 40 00:01:57,725 --> 00:02:01,480 That pretty much the main thing for 41 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,325 the two months coming back 42 00:02:03,325 --> 00:02:07,135 until I went back to my normal position here. 43 00:02:07,135 --> 00:02:08,785 What's normal 44 00:02:08,785 --> 00:02:11,930 Working on cafeteria equipment? 45 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:17,590 Yeah, I repair grills and fryers and ovens. 46 00:02:17,590 --> 00:02:20,410 Were the things that had to be done in 47 00:02:20,410 --> 00:02:22,885 food areas, the cafeteria areas? 48 00:02:22,885 --> 00:02:23,380 Yes. 49 00:02:23,380 --> 00:02:24,700 Who take care of COVID? 50 00:02:24,700 --> 00:02:26,260 Yeah. When we first came back, 51 00:02:26,260 --> 00:02:29,080 we add like two weeks to get the cafeteria is ready for 52 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:33,280 football camp because they 53 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,185 had to be opened by that certain date. 54 00:02:35,185 --> 00:02:38,770 And so we spent two weeks, 55 00:02:38,770 --> 00:02:40,120 the first two weeks just getting 56 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,860 the cafeteria is ready for the football players. 57 00:02:42,860 --> 00:02:44,795 And that involved what 58 00:02:44,795 --> 00:02:48,740 Coverings for food? No plexiglass panels 59 00:02:48,740 --> 00:02:50,420 between anywhere where you're gonna be 60 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:52,370 like within 6 ft of somebody, 61 00:02:52,370 --> 00:02:55,865 like the check stands. 62 00:02:55,865 --> 00:03:01,220 Each concept that have plexiglass from both 72 " down 63 00:03:01,220 --> 00:03:04,460 to the ground as long as there was a barrier between 64 00:03:04,460 --> 00:03:08,045 you and the student ordering is food or whatever. 65 00:03:08,045 --> 00:03:09,710 Yeah. And then in the kitchen areas, 66 00:03:09,710 --> 00:03:12,290 we had to put in sections where if there 67 00:03:12,290 --> 00:03:15,035 was people working across from each other on the table, 68 00:03:15,035 --> 00:03:18,660 we had to separate them with plexiglass also. 69 00:03:18,670 --> 00:03:21,605 Did the work seem to make sense 70 00:03:21,605 --> 00:03:24,230 to you and the other is working with you? 71 00:03:24,230 --> 00:03:28,355 It made sense. I had one other person working with me. 72 00:03:28,355 --> 00:03:31,205 One of my co-workers was furloughed also. 73 00:03:31,205 --> 00:03:34,370 He came back with me and us too did a lot of 74 00:03:34,370 --> 00:03:39,335 the projects up until I would say the middle of July, 75 00:03:39,335 --> 00:03:41,060 We brought in contractors to 76 00:03:41,060 --> 00:03:43,445 help all because we weren't going to finish it. 77 00:03:43,445 --> 00:03:45,380 A lot of classrooms. 78 00:03:45,380 --> 00:03:48,350 Do you think if something like this on 79 00:03:48,350 --> 00:03:51,905 this scale were to happen again in a year or two or five, 80 00:03:51,905 --> 00:03:55,385 would the university be ready to deal with it? 81 00:03:55,385 --> 00:03:57,125 We'd be more ready, yes. 82 00:03:57,125 --> 00:03:58,280 How so? 83 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,500 We know what to do because we are 84 00:04:00,500 --> 00:04:03,440 waiting for instructions of what had to be done. 85 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:06,095 So yeah. 86 00:04:06,095 --> 00:04:08,075 How about your people? 87 00:04:08,075 --> 00:04:14,195 Your people managed to avoid getting sick or yeah, 88 00:04:14,195 --> 00:04:16,130 we avoided getting sick. 89 00:04:16,130 --> 00:04:18,185 I got sick this last fall, 90 00:04:18,185 --> 00:04:19,970 but I didn't get sick during 91 00:04:19,970 --> 00:04:23,840 the beginning of my coworkers didn't either. 92 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:27,280 So you came through, okay. Yeah. 93 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:28,090 Yeah. 94 00:04:28,090 --> 00:04:29,690 Well, it was I mean, 95 00:04:29,690 --> 00:04:31,910 you going into all of these buildings but then 96 00:04:31,910 --> 00:04:35,270 plexiglass and there's not solar around. 97 00:04:35,270 --> 00:04:38,945 It's kind of an eerie feeling is like a ghost town. 98 00:04:38,945 --> 00:04:42,020 That was really something unlike 99 00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:46,020 any other year that I've been out here was that summer.