Previous Story
PSS Finance is without air conditioning
|
Posted on Jul 24 2008
Some Public School System employees are feeling the heat.
Since July 17, the eight staff members and three students in the PSS Finance Department have been working without an air conditioner, acting PSS Commissioner Craig Garrison said.
“It looked like it was old Savannah,” he said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the temperature in the room was 83 degrees. On July 17, the temperature reached a high of 94 degrees, Garrison said.
The staff has been using fans and opening windows to keep cool, he said.
“But there’s not enough windows in the building to make that happen,” he added.
Garrison said a Retirement Building employee first called JWS Air Conditioning on July 17 once they realized there was a problem.
When there was still no let up in the heat, Garrison called the company himself, he said.
“They showed up [Wednesday], put in a part and realized they needed another part,” he said.
When the temperature reached 92 degrees on Wednesday, the Assistant Finance Director asked to release the staff for the day, which Garrison did.
Garrison said he told the employees they can work in the commissioner’s office if they want.
“They’ll keep working,” he said. “It’s not as hot today, but it’s still probably 80 degrees.”
A JWS employee who answered the phone Thursday afternoon said the technician was currently at the building, and the system should be fixed by the end of the day.
Garrison said he thinks all of the air conditioning repair companies are probably busy with the rolling blackouts taking place.
“It’s good business for air con employees [but] it’s bad because they don’t have enough manpower,” he added.
Garrison said he hopes the company is only prioritizing and is helping buildings that house the elderly or children.
“So we can suffer a little better,” he said.
Finance employees referred all questions to the Commissioner. (KRISTI EATON)
