Page 9 - The Shores of Jupiter - March '22

The Shores, Page 9
Northern Notes

Maintenance Is The Key people try to live by because,
in the long run, it saves us time
By Katie Roundtree, and money. It is also one of the
Director of Finance and principles on which Northern
Administration, Northern operates every day.
Palm Beach County Northern’s staff perform regular
Improvement District inspections and servicing of the
We all know that the best various improvements we own and
way to keep our car, our air operate. They are part of a planned
conditioning and even our program and each staff person knows the schedule for of a pipe but only a diver can conduct an inspection of the
lawnmowers running at the improvements under their care. These inspections pipe’s interior. Another example is the inspection of the
peak efficiency is to have and services are conducted by a combination of staff and pumps at each of the pump stations. Staff can perform the
them serviced regularly. contractors. An example is the inspection of pipes/culverts. general servicing that keeps the pumps operational but only
This is a principle that Staff can perform a visual inspection of the visible sections a specialist can hoist a pump out of the water and perform
the full mechanical service that maintains the working
life of the pump. On their own, or in conjunction with a
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Fun Fact contractor, Northern’s staff works every day to keep the
inspections schedule on track.
Regular inspection and servicing enables Northern
Bagpipes In The Fire Service demanding way to earn very little pay and even less to get the best possible working life from each of its
respect. They became firefighters and police officers. improvements and to have excellent long-term planning
By Steen Eriksson, Professional Firefighters and One of the Irish traditions they brought with them was for the replacement/upgrade of systems. Northern’s staff
Paramedics of Palm Beach County the bagpipes. In an effort to keep their traditions alive, the prepares a Five-Year Maintenance and Capital Projects
As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, I want to share a bit firefighters would play the bagpipes while at work, and Plan that documents the future needs of each area that
of the history of bagpipes in the Fire Service. over time it became part of the firefighter culture. we serve. The plan is used to forecast future projects
Parades featuring fire department honor guards and Few things evoke a firefighter’s emotions like the based on priority and budgetary considerations. The plan
pipes and drums bands take place across the United States, sounds of pipes and drums. Feelings of pride and joy specifically identifies projects in excess of $10,000 and
and especially in the Northeast as part of St. Patrick’s Day swell a firefighter’s heart when listening to up-tempo categorizes them into maintenance or capital depending
festivities. Irish and Scottish tunes at a joyous occasion, just as the on the funding source. Maintenance projects are typically
This often piques the curiosity about the relationship ever-present pride and overwhelming sorrow breaks the funded through the annual budget where capital projects
firefighters and police officers have with the bagpipes, firefighter’s heart when hearing the wail of Amazing Grace are typically funded through the issuance of debt. This
and how it has become part of our tradition. at the funeral for a fallen firefighter killed in the line of document is updated annually during the budget process and
In the mid-1800s, there was a massive migration of duty. is used as a tool for scheduling and budgeting projects. The
Irish to the United States, mainly to cities in the Northeast. Next time you hear a fire department pipes and drums plan is intended to be a working document and is revised
This was due largely in part to the potato famine in Ireland band, please remember just how it came to be such a periodically to reflect the changing dynamics of the district.
prompting people to search for a better life. deep-rooted part of our tradition. Northern’s staff works hard every day to ensure that the
Initially, the Irish were not welcomed here, and as Steen Eriksson, improvements that they maintain are in top condition and
they searched for jobs, they were usually greeted by signs Community Relations-HOA North, working order. We strive to provide the highest quality
stating, “Irish need not apply.” Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach service to the landowners that we serve.
Becoming desperate to earn money to support their County, NPDES tip: Safely use and dispose pesticide. If all of
families, they took the jobs that no one else wanted IAFF Local 2928, the pesticide cannot be properly used, check with your solid
because it was a dirty, dangerous and physically HOAN@iaff2928.com waste management authority to find out when and where
to properly dispose of this type of hazardous waste.