ORFA Facility Focus

Terry Piche, CRFP, CIT, ORFA Technical Director talks with all three of Ontario’s ice resurfacer providers about where electric ice resurfacer  technology began, its current growth and what the future holds. He also chats with a municipal and private ice sheet manager who have shifted away from fossil fuel to battery power. What was learned will help shape future ORFA Certified Ice Technician course materials. There is no doubt the future is going battery - learn how it will impact our industry. 

In this podcast, ORFA Technical Director Terry Piche looks at the (new) roles, responsibilities and challenges associated with reopening recreation facility changerooms. The podcast evaluates the poor history of maintaining these areas, while trying to apply higher expectations of cleaning, disinfection and sanitizing. Other issues include HVAC operations and using non traditional areas to allow users to prepare for their rental. Recreation professionals need to “change” the way they have been using facility changerooms.

Terry Piche, ORFA Technical Director, speaks with Zack Tarantino, Marmak, to share updates to RFAM - Recreation Facility Asset Management software.

In 2015, the Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA), Ontario Recreation Facilities Association (ORFA) and Marmak partnered in developing an inventory repository for recreation assets. RFAM has become an asset management solution of choice by recreation associations across Canada to help their members manage facilities and open spaces.

RFAM is a user-friendly web based software application, designed specifically for facilities and parks staff. This system helps staff capture inventory, request maintenance, create work orders, run an electronic warehouse, and track condition and efficiency of assets.

Public and private owners, regardless of their size, need to inspect their facilities and open spaces throughout the year to ensure these assets pose no safety risks to their community. Continuous wear and tear in combination with normal depreciation makes it essential that each organization be able to prove regular inspection and maintenance procedures to ensure protection from legal claims.

RFAM replaces the tedious task of continually updating spreadsheets or logbooks and eliminates the guesswork, thereby empowering staff to work more efficiently while still maintaining detailed records.

After more than 100 days of lockdown recreation infrastructure is beginning to come back to life. This does not mean that COVID-19 is gone – it means that there is currently less of a risk. As facility managers focus on re-entry and reopening the realities of lost revenues and increased costs to provide expected levels of protection are becoming the latest challenge. This Podcast looks at the challenges ahead for recreation managers as they try and balance worker and user safety. 

As recreation facility managers consider how best to restart their buildings, the environmental air exchange systems will need careful consideration. In this Podcast, ORFA’s Technical Director highlights the different elements associated with maintaining safe air exchange, the need to form a strong working relationship with trained and certified HVAC technicians and, the importance of knowing  what frontline staff can and cannot do by way of work on these complicated systems. Safe air exchange has always been an important recreation facility operational responsibility – COVID-19 has amplified these obligations.

This Podcast discusses members confusion surrounding different provincial directives regarding use of recreation facilities effective the first week of June 2020. The original identification that brick and mortar recreation infrastructure would be part of the last stages of provincial approval for access was followed by provincial leadership stating that “figure skaters could return to the ice”. This caused some members to scramble to meet this approval. Here is what we know is happening

As ORFA members look forward to getting back into their facilities, ORFA’s Technical Director, Terry Piche talks about where we were, where we are, and possibly where it is we are heading as an industry when we come back to life. This podcast discusses what information is available to practitioners and reviews the tools the ORFA has gathered and built to assist in both the reentry and reopening stages for recreation facilities. It includes an appeal to all members to assist in rebuilding and shaping how we will function post pandemic by sharing experiences. Please listen and share so that we can grow stronger as an industry!