Checklist of Actions for All Departments, Staff and Faculty To Do Before Break

• Identify any maintenance needs in advance by entering a Service Request in Planon or call Service Operations Support (SOS) at 802-656-2560 for assistance in submitting your request. Planning is important to allow Physical Plant crews to prioritize work and schedule appropriate staffing levels. In your request, be sure to identify specific location, and when areas are available to minimize disruption and other scheduling conflicts.
• Make sure all windows (including storm windows) are closed and secured and shut window blinds and shades when you leave for break including in offices, classrooms, and bathrooms. This ensures cold air stays outside of the building and reduces risk of frozen pipes.
• Clean out and empty perishable food from refrigerators to minimize chance of odors or spoiled food in the event of a power outage. 
• Please remove all trash from your office, laboratory and non-public spaces by the end of day Wednesday, December 18, 2024. This will ensure trash is removed from your building by Custodial teams during their Thursday, December 19th pickup. 
• If your refrigerator will be empty for the extended Break, then you may choose to defrost it and unplug it to conserve energy. Just be sure to capture all drainage water to prevent moisture damage to carpet and flooring.
• Help minimize electrical usage by powering off and/or unplugging computers, office equipment, coffee makers, microwaves/toasters and other non-critical appliances and equipment (This helps reduce the "phantom load" or standby power that's used even when a device is turned off)
• Switch off unnecessary or non-critical lighting.  Only emergency egress lighting (e.g., in stairwells) should be left on.
• If you are on campus during the Break, please run water in kitchen/bathroom sinks and drinking fountains for a few minutes to help circulate water throughout building pipes. (This helps us prevent water stagnation, drying out of "traps", and pipe freeze-ups during colder weather).
• If you come to campus during Winter Break, be prepared for snow and ice conditions on walkways or roadways. Please wear appropriate boots or footwear with good traction because we might not be able to maintain the usual level of service that the University community has come to expect.

Physical Plant Department teams will be:

• Conducting regular building walkthroughs to monitor all mechanical, electrical and heating systems to ensure building systems are operating properly.
• Performing preventative maintenance (PM) on critical systems such as electrical, HVAC, and domestic water flushing.
• Posting notices at building entrances and communicating to building contacts and safety/logistics officers if any work will impact any building operations. 
• Coordinating some system and building upgrades in specific locations. We will notify building occupants as necessary. 
• Supporting ongoing major construction activities and projects happening on campus. 

Custodial Services will:

• Custodial will have minimal staffing on campus in support of on-campus students and essential operations as required.

• Snow removal operations will focus on high-priority areas for campus accessibility and life safety, including building ingress and egress points. These include first clearing critical and major pathways and roadways, Fire Lanes, ADA parking spaces, fire hydrants and related emergency equipment/egress areas. 
• Snow removal will primarily be conducted during our regular Monday-Friday daytime hours of operation. This may result in slower response time than what our campus partners have typically come to expect during severe winter storms. Snow removal around student and employee parking lots will not be guaranteed by the start of each business day.

See T&PS Announcements webpage