ANNUAL AZFA
Education Sessions
Did You Ever Want to Shoot The Architect? Well, Here’s Your Chance!
Monday 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Room 1
Although the title is a bit tongue and cheek, this is an opportunity to explain the role of the architect in the design process and how everyone (including all members of a Zoo’s or Aquarium’s Facility team) should ask for a place at the table during the design phase.
Presenter: Dean Violetta, Cincinnati Zoo Architect
Making Green = Green $$
Monday 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Room 2
Learn how to save money and be more sustainable! This session will outline the National Zoo’s $24.5M Energy Savings Performance Contract. We will discuss different energy conservation technologies, winners and looser, campus wide implementation, successes, challenges and lessons learned.
Presenter: Tom Reavey, SI Energy Management
Fire! Are your systems ready?
Monday 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Room 3
When was the last time you tested your fire protection and life safety systems? This session will discuss items to consider on fire system readiness and ITM’s requirements from the National Fire Protection Association Standards.
Presenter: Ajay Gulati, SI Fire Protection Engineer
Estidama and the United Arab Emirates Desert Learning Center city of Al Ain
Monday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 1
Estidama (Arabic for sustainability) Pearl Building Rating System in Abu Dhabi. The aim of the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS) is to promote the development of sustainable buildings and improve quality of life. Achievement of a sustainable building requires the integration of the four pillars of Estidama together with a collaborative and inter-disciplinary approach to building development known as the Integrated Development Process. The PBRS encourages water, energy and waste minimization, local material uses and aims to improve supply chains for sustainable and recycled materials and products. Learn how the new United Arab Emirates Desert Learning Center city of Al Ain became the first build to achieve these goals.
Presenter: Mahra Al Blooshi, Director of Facilities Management, Al Ain Zoo
Facility and Program Access for All: Design Inclusive of Visitors with Disabilities
Monday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 2
Discuss the legal framework and best design practices that make your facility and programs accessible to visitors with disabilities.
Presenter: Beth Ziebarth, Director, Access Smithsonian
Getting Existing Buildings to Net Zero
Monday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 3
What is “net zero”? This highly coined term is continuing to increase in conversations around the country with regards to energy efficiency, building operations and utility grid independence. Net zero is considered the pinnacle of achievement in overall building operations performance. In many of these conversations the topic is talked about around new construction. Net zero buildings are becoming more mainstream as technologies and processes improve, and renewable energy becomes less costly. However, innovators are focusing on how to take existing buildings to become net zero. Though a little more challenging to achieve in an existing building setting, it can be accomplished taking the right steps.
Using Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden as a case study, attendees will learn the steps of achieving net zero on existing building environments with regards to energy, water and waste. We will investigate varies retrofit opportunities in individual buildings as well as how advanced benchmarking can help prioritize opportunities across an entire campus portfolio. We will review technologies, approaches, processes as well as portfolio project prioritization methods.
Presenter: Susan Heinking, Pepper Construction Company
Job Hazard Analysis Training
Monday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 1
The Job Hazard Analysis designed to teach staff the method for systematically identifying and evaluating hazards associated with a particular job or task, in order to create a safer work environment. By the end of this class, attendees will understand: Job Hazard Analysis, Skill in the Recognition & Control of Occupational Hazard & JHA Techniques.
Presenter: Steve Walden, SI OSHEM
Safety and Occupational Health Specialist
Sand vs Glass Pool Filter Media: Which is Better?
Monday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 2
There has been little change in regards to filter design (one of the key components of the LSS) over the years. The go to filtration media in the Aquarium industry has been silica sand media. Recently, over the last decade or so, glass media has caught on as a viable alternative to sand media. Filter media manufacturers list a number of benefits related to the use of glass media versus sand media including reduced operational costs and water savings. Are these claims true? The presentation will look at side by side testing of glass media and sand media. Other data from other similar applications will be discussed as well.
Presenter: Joseph D. Arlotto Project Engineer PCA Global
Taking the Next Step in the Organization
Monday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 3
Would you like to become a Supervisor or Manager at your Zoo or Aquarium? From Horticulturist, to Operations Manager, to Facilities Director, we will discuss the challenges and pitfalls one faces breaking into the ranks of management. Learn from my experiences to help prepare you to take that next step.
Presenter: Andrew Marti, Director of Facilities Management, Saint Louis Zoo
Active Shooter Training
Tuesday 9:00 – 11:00
Ballroom
Train for clear flags issues of particular importance and scenarios to help users think about how to respond in different situations.
• Identifying potential threats
• Reporting suspicious activity
• When to run, hide or fight.
Provide guidance to employees in the event of an incident. It will cover the actions staff can take in order to protect themselves as well as how to respond when law enforcement arrives on scene.
Presenter: Tina Cogan, SI Office of Protective Services
Asbestos Awareness Training
Tuesday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 1
Asbestos awareness training session that is intended to provide information regarding the recognition of asbestos-containing materials, health effects associated with asbestos, and safe work practices to limit potential asbestos exposures in the workplace.
NOTE: This session is not intended for staff whose work tasks may include contact with, removal or disturbance of asbestos-containing materials, which requires instruction that is more specialized. This course does not certify workers to remove asbestos-containing materials.
Presenter: Chuck Fry, SI OSHEM Industrial Hygienist
Integrated Pest Management Best Practices for Living Collections
Tuesday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 2
Zoos and aquariums are particularly challenging because they typically have an abundance of food, water, harborage and ideal temperatures for pest development. Learn how the Smithsonian National Zoo has been working to address the “pest paradise”.
Presenter: Greg Ose, SI NZP Entomologist
Job Site Accident – WHAT NEXT?
Tuesday 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Room 3
The Accident Investigation in-person class session will teach your staff how to properly and effectively investigate accidents. After completion of this course, your staff will be able to determine the cause of an accident, what corrective actions to take to prevent future accidents, as well as how to properly document an investigation.
Presenter: Mary Winkler SI OSHEM Industrial Hygienist
Using Web GIS to enable your Campus, Workplace and Indoor Facility Operations
Tuesday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 1
• Discover the potential of your campus, workplace, or facility by integrating existing data and enterprise business systems in GIS.
• Operationalize and visualize your CAD/BIM investment, reduce maintenance and downtime costs, and increase productivity by consolidating information with Web GIS.
• Explores the use of ArcGIS Collector to tackle standards-driven landscaping activities and reporting at the National Zoo.
Presenter: Michael Sandor, SI Geospatial Information Division
Strategic Energy Planning: Do we need a plan? If so, why?
Tuesday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 2
This session will address the importance of having a Strategic Energy Plan with the goal being conservation of both resources and finances. Discussion will center on the concept of APPEM: Assess Prioritize Plan Execute Maintain and how these 5 components can help any organization build a solid plan to better manage their energy resources.
Presenter: Elayne Hudson, Senior Enterprise Applications Engineer Dude Solutions
To Maintain or To Build…. You Can’t Do Both Well at The Same Time
Tuesday 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Room 3
Far too often, maintenance departments end up being utilized more for projects than for maintenance. It “saves money” and in many cases, can be easier and cheaper. But at what cost? And where does preventative maintenance fall into the grand scheme of things? Nowhere most likely. And what are some creative ways of leveraging your general contractor that is working on the big projects? We’ll discuss the pros and cons, the grey areas, the fine lines, and the ins and outs related to this ever-present dilemma. We have lots of data from other institutions to share some benchmarking numbers, as well as examples of org charts and how they differ from organization to organization. And of course, there will be ample amounts of relevant stories and opportunities to make fun of each other and keep things lively and relevant!
Presenter: Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden