Education is the KEY to a smooth & successful pool operation.
It has long been established that education is the KEY to an safe, efficient, and cost effective pool operation. This has been proven over and over during CES’s 24 years of commercial water quality control experience. What type of education works best? How will it affect your operations? Where do you find it, and how do you take advantage of the opportunity right away? Here as some simple answers.
The are basically three different types of education available to CES customers.
The first is Pool Operator Certification. This is an accredited two-day, 18-hours course that is currently required by the Florida Department of Health 64E-9 swimming pool code. By definition, the “pubic pool” mentioned below refers to all municipal, hotel, country club, condominium, therapy pools, etc.
64E-9.018 Public Pool Service Technician Certification.
An individual who services a public pool by maintaining the cleanliness, water quality
and chemical balance of public pools shall be certified. To be certified an individual must
demonstrate knowledge of public pools. Examples of such knowledge include: pool
cleaning, general pool maintenance, make-up water supply, bacteriological, chemical
and physical quality of water and water purification, testing, treatment, and disinfection
procedures. To ensure that the pool technicians are knowledgeable, said technician
shall attend a training course of national recognition that is approved by the department
of at least 16 hours in length and shall pass a test acceptable to the department.
There are several sources of this education: The AFO (Aquatic Facility Operator) program marketed by the NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association), is one of the most popular courses in the US. SInce 1995 CES has marketed the AFO course as we found it to be more modern and better suited to the way that our customers need to operate their pools. Read more on the CES-AFO program at www.ceswaterquality.com/afo_cert.php.
This type of education in a classroom environment works wonders in providing a solid overview for aquatic managers, building managers, head pool operators, etc. It seems to inspire them to operate the best possible pool, gives them the tools to diagnose and avoid problems, and has proven to give them the confidence to carry out the required tasks.
The second type of education is the CES Guerrilla Pool management seminar, a “management overview”. This is a condensed (two-hour) version of the AFO class that has been offered to building managers, condominium board members, hotel management staff, and management companies since the 1980’s. This class is approved for Continuing Education (CEU) credits from the Department of Professional Regulation (DPR). It provides an in-depth overview and solid background information on all aspects of DOH codes and pool operation without getting into the fine details of pool calculations, treatment dosages, risk management, etc. CES will teach this course at your condominium association location, management company, or trade association. Read more about the Guerrilla Pool Management Seminar at www.ceswaterquality.com/guerrilla_pool.php .
The third type of education is hands-on training by CES field staff. This type of field training is mostly technical in nature and is designed to give your operator(s) one-on-one support on the specific systems in your pump room or aquatic facility. Training can include: recirculation pumps and motors, filters (all types), controls, treatment systems (all types), supplemental oxidation (ozone, UV), preventive maintenance of all equipment, DOH code compliance, chemical dosing calculations, and much more. CES technical staff has over 275 years of combined field experience and is comprised of 15 certified AFO’s and 5 certified AFO instructors. While this type of field training is less structured than classroom training, the hands-on format is invaluable in helping your staff come to a complete understanding of the proper way to operate a commercial pool. Contact your CES representative to schedule an on-site training session at your convenience.
One word of caution. If you contract a disreputable and/or unqualified company to conduct your certification or support training...then you will be operating your facility based on bad information and advice. Over the years, we’ve seen it happen many times. Make sure that you work with a company with the reputation and experience to provide you with the proper information the first time around.
Regardless of the type of facility you operate, it is true that you can improve your operations through a combination of classroom and on-site training. Take advantage of any of the three programs from CES, and your results are guaranteed, with no risk. Please feel free to contact your CES representative with any questions or comments.
Monday, April 30, 2007
The CES/AFO course is a Nationally-Accredited 18 hour class that complies with the current DOH requirement for a certified operator at each Florida facility. CES has trained and certified thousands of pool operators since 1995 and is one of the largest educational providers of AFO in the US. Classes are scheduled in key locations around the state of Florida. Your instructor will work with you and will assist you in comprehending the course material through a professional presentation complete with photos, examples, and personal attention to your questions and learning needs.
CES’s hands-on training at your facility can provide an invaluable resource of information and knowledge for your staff. Conducted on a one-on-one or group basis, it can cover your entire pool operation from filtration, circulation, treatment, code compliance, and much more.
Three Great Educational programs to choose from!
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