Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction

OCTOBER 2006

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES

8

LagoonsFacility ManagementRenovates Sewage Pondson the Navajo ReservationNavajo Region Facility Management hasrenovated 13 total-containment sewagelagoon sites at schools across the NavajoReservation over the past three years. Anincrease in the number of studentsattending the schools has resulted ingreater sewage system use. The projectswere developed following a Regionalreview of deficiencies and were funded bythe OFMC Facility ManagementProgram. The FMIS backlog databasewas used to initiate and track the projectsrelated to the lagoons, some of whichwere constructed in the 1960s. Therenovations, which include the repairingof sewage lines leading from the schoolsto the lagoons, will ensure that lagooncapacity meets user demand.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for private use $300

The Office of Management Support Services (OMSS) was renamed the Office of Facilities,Environmental and Cultural Resources (OFECR) in August 2006. The OFECR oversees theOffice of Facilities Management and Construction, the Division of Safety and Risk Managementand the Division of Environmental and Cultural Resources Management.OF

ECR

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

OFFICE OF FACILITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL and

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Office of Facilities Management and Construction

1011 Indian School Road, NW Suite 335

PUBLIC NOTICE

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Shonto Preparatory School’s sixsewage ponds were upgraded this year

with the removal of sludge, therenovation of dikes and the installationof replacement fencing and piping, all

part of the Navajo Region’s sewagelagoon improvements.

INSIDE

See Page 4 to catch a glimpse of the Indian schoolconstruction activity across the Four Corners region.

Switch to NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code Allows One Standard

More than a year has passed since the National FireProtection Association’s (NFPA) building construction andsafety code, called the NFPA 5000, replaced the1997 Uniform Building Code (UBC) asthe approved standard foundin the BIA’s SafetyHandbook and containedin the 25 IAM.

Bureau safety andconstruction managers reportthat the use of the NFPA 5000,which combines building and lifesafety codes, has eliminated thedifficulties of applying separate lifesafety and building codes (where life safety codes wouldalways prevail).

“It makes sense to use one source, NFPA 5000,” said CharlesJaynes, Chief of the Division of Safety and Risk Management. “Therelative importance of fire codes verses building safety codes is

already addressed.”

NFPA 5000 was adopted in June 2005 for usein the planning and design of all Bureauconstruction projects, including renovationsand modernizations commonly supervised atthe Regions. All projects designed after June2005 are required to meet the NFPA 5000.Projects that were in design prior to June 2005still fall under the UBC, which had been theBureau’s standard building code since 1981.

The NFPA 5000 can be purchased from the NFPA by calling 1-800-344-3555 or by visiting its website at. www.nfpa.org and choosingthe link to the catalogue.

Office of Facilities,Environmental, andCultural Resources

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Indian School Construction Resounds Across the Hopi and Navajo Reservations

The increase in BIA Replacement School and FI&R funding in Fiscal Years 2001-2004 has resulted in a flurry of OFMC projectsnow underway across the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. Indian students on these reservations attend scores of schools and live indormitories that are scheduled to be upgraded from their current poor conditions.

Schools / Dormitories on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations Condition October 2005 October 2006 October 2007* Good 8 10 21 Fair 6 6 6 Poor 56 54 43 Total 70 70 70

* Anticipated

Other reservations in Indian Country also have had an upswing in BIA school construction. Tribes in the Dakotas have seen theopening of Tiospa Zina Tribal School and Enemy Swim Day School, the current construction of Ojibwa Millennium and TurtleMountain high schools and Circle of Nations - Wahpeton Indian Boarding School and the groundbreaking last month at PorcupineDay School. Northwest tribes have seen the replacement of Lummi Tribal School and Paschal Sherman Indian School, withMuckleshoot Tribal School now in the planning stage. The Mississippi Choctaws have assisted in funding replacement elementaryschools, and a new replacement school complex for the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina is underway.

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction

Some facility man-agers in northwest-ern New Mexicohad to performemergency repairs

The Chippewa Cree Tribe, the BIA, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Mon-tana officials began the construction of the North Central Montana Regional Wa-ter System in August. The area to be served by this water system includes the

Rocky Boy’sReservation.

The water sys-tem will treatwater from theRocky Moun-tains which isstored in LakeElwell. The lakeis formed bythe Bureau ofReclamation’sTiber Dam, lo-cated about 15miles south ofChester, Mt. A50-mile pipelinefrom the lake willbring water to an

estimated 18,000 Indian and non-Indian users in 18 towns, counties, water dis-tricts and colonies in north-central Montana.

The planning, design and construction of the water system is authorized byPub. L. 107-331, which requires the BIA to provide operations, maintenanceand replacement funding for the system. BIA-OFMC will provide training foremployees hired or contracted to operate and maintain the water system. Theproject will be built by the Chippewa Cree Construction Corp. Subcontractorswill work on building the intake structure which will require drilling 80 feet down

2

Briefs

7

continued from page 6

New Videotapes Will AssistSafe Dormitory Evacuation

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Officials Gather for August Ground Breaking Ceremonyfor Montana’s Rocky Boy’s Reservation Water Project

New Fire Stations Are Welcome Sight in Indian CountryHeated fire stations arebeing constructed byOFMC throughout IndianCountry. Since fire truckshave large water tanksand normally have waterinside the pump ready forimmediate fire suppres-sion response, the newstations will ensure that

(From left) Montana Congressman Denny Rehburg; Acting BIA RockyMountain Regional Director Ed Parisian, a Chippewa Cree-Rocky Boy’sTribal member; and the co-chairmen of the Rocky Boy’s/North CentralMontana Regional Water System Dan Keil and Bruce Sunchild, also aChippewa Cree-Rocky Boy’s tribal member, begin construction of the watersystem during an August ground breaking ceremony.

Storms Damage Schools Just Before Classes Begin

Flood waters poured into thenew gymnasium at Navajo

Preparatory School inFarmington, N.M., (above

right). Storm winds blew out awindow (above left) at

Ch’ooshgai Community Schoolin Tohatchi, N.M. and a broken

dike cut off access to LakeValley Navajo School nearCrownpoint, N.M. (center)

While Cemeteries Aren’t Listed in FMIS, They Need CareWhile there is no separate cat-egory in the FMIS Backlog database for cemeteries located atsome BIA sites, the plots stillneed attention from facilities staffand grounds crews. At HaskellIndian Nations University, thecemetery on the southeast edgeof campus holds 109 tomb-stones, mostly those of youthswho died and were buried at theLawrence, Kan., school.

before their schools could open this Fall. Heavy rainsand stormy weather caused numerous problems.

This fire station will serve Crystal Boarding School in New Mexico.

Gillis Miller, a member of the Haskell Indian NationsUniversity grounds crew, cuts grass at Haskell Cemetery.

the fire pump does not freeze. The fire stations are prefabricated, 1,980 square-feet metal buildings, with two bays, electric overhead doors, smoke exhaustsystems, rest rooms and offices. They also have meeting and fire training areas.For more information, contact Tsosie Tsinhnahijnnie, Project Manager, orEdward Abeita, Structural Fire Protection Program Manager, at (505) 563-5109.

The Structural Fire Protection Program(SFPP) produced three fire evacuationvideos—“Grab Your Shoes,” “StayCool and Stay Alive,” and “What YouShould Know”—for use at dormitories.The videos were made mandatoryviewing for all dormitory occupants bythe Director of the Bureau of IndianEducation. Parents and guardians alsoare encouraged to view the videos.

The videos will provide all dormitoryoccupants with an understanding of firealarm and fire protection systems. Thevideos provide the occupants properevacuation and accountability proce-dures. For information, contact EdwardAbeita, OFMC SFPP Manager, at(505) 563-5109.

Energy Conscious DesignAward to Baca / Dlo’ay Azhi

The Associated General Contractors ofAmerica in New Mexico gave their2006 Best Building Award to the BIA’sBaca / Dlo’ ay Azhi ConsolidatedReplacement Community School forits energy conscious design. The79,000 square-foot school in Prewitt,N.M., is LEED certified by the U.S.Green Building Council.

The school also earned the 2005Environmental Achievement Awardfrom the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (Region 9) for commitment tothe environment, and the 2004 Depart-ment of the Interior EnvironmentalAchievement Award.

An additional part of the review follows upon a 2005 Survey Report on the NationalStatus of Residential Life, developed forBIE, which focused on staffing andstudent needs. The Survey Report didnot focus on facilities but madereferences to residential school design,recommending that future residences besingle story and configured with wingsjoined at a common center. Therecommendation stems from an analysisof staffing patterns, which are determinedby the number of floors in a studentresidence. “Residential schools need toplan their tours of duty based on theconfiguration of the residential buildings,”stated the Survey Report. The reportincluded a response from one residentialschool that “five dorm halls on twodifferent levels must be covered by onestaff member.”

The 2005 Survey Report for BIE included:A profile of the Indian residentialstudent, i.e., his or her educationhistory, referral reasons, familybackground and personal and socialhistory. This profile is based on 1,563individual student profiles submittedfrom 44 residential schools.

A requirement to review thequalifications of residential school staffand determine their training needs.Respondents indicated that residentialstaff should have at least an AssociatesDegree to work in the dorms.

A process for reviewing services,interventions, counseling, social work,instruction and recreation offered in thedorms.

The goal of the Survey Report was tomake recommendations that would betterserve the needs of residential students.

OFMC Supervisory General Engineer John King details the BIA’srole in the water system, which will serve Indians and non-Indians.

and then tunneling an-other 320 feet to the lake.

The construction projectwill cost $270 million.The federal governmentwill pay 80 percent of thetotal cost. It will take 10to 15 years to completeand will transport approxi-mately 10,000 acre-feet ofwater to the Rocky Boy’sReservation.

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction 36

Focus

continued on page 7

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Oglala Sioux Tribal Offenders Facility Opens as Jail Conditions Continue to Improve

BIA Detention Center ImprovementCondition July 2004 June 2005 January 2006 October 2006 Good 3 7 13 21 Fair 2 5 5 7 Poor 30 23 18 22 Total 35 35 36* 50** * One BIA-operated Detention Center added. ** 14 Detention Centers (receiving BIA O&M funding) added.

Since FY 2004, theBIA’s Office of JusticeServices and theOffice of FacilitiesManagement andConstruction havebeen working toaddress serious

The FacilitiesConstructionIndex (FCI) for FY2006 was 0.0914for 50 detentioncenters. In FY2004, the FCIwas 0.2622 for 35

Seba Dalkai maintenance worker Larry Osochecks the school’s geothermal heating pipes.

BIA-operated Detention Centers. The FCI indicates that abuilding is in good condition if it is rated 0.0000 to 0.0500. Abuilding in poor condition is rated 0.1000 or more. One exampleof the success of the joint detention center improvement effort isthe Oglala Sioux Tribal Offenders Facility, which will open soonin Pine Ridge, S.D.

deficiencies in the detention centers operated or funded by theBIA. In February, the Department of the Interior asked BIA toinclude all 50 detention centers which receive BIA Operations &Maintenance funding in its Government Performance andResults Act tracking system, instead of just the 36 BIA-operateddetention centers.

A day room (left) is ready in the 56,500-square-foot Oglala Sioux TribalOffenders Facility (above/below). The facility will hold 144 adult inmates.

University of New Mexico Continuing Education Instructor JaneBetterton and OFMC project managers discuss implementingcurrent standards for project management into their OFMC duties.

OFMC Project Managers Review PMI PrinciplesOFMC projectmanagers recentlyreviewed nationallyrecognized bestpractices establishedby the ProjectManagement Institute(PMI). ChemicalEngineer JaneBetterton led thediscussion. She hasbeen involved in

BIA Dormitory Conditionsand Operations Evaluated

During March and April, the Bureau ofIndian Affairs Office of Audit andEvaluation reviewed six Bureau of IndianEducation (BIE) operated studentdormitories across Indian Country. Thereview was part of the periodicevaluation process required by theOffice of Management and Budget(OMB) Circular A-123. Michael Oliva,Director of the Office of InternalEvaluation and Assessment, led thereview team. Participants included theOffice of Facilities, Environmental, andCultural Resources (formerly OMSS), theOffice of Facilities Management andConstruction and the Division of Safetyand Risk Management. The field reviewsconcentrated on dormitory conditionsand life safety code compliance, whileBIE reviewed the dormitory programoperations.

A portion of the reviews noted thatOFMC is upgrading cooling systemsand carpets in many dormitories andproviding facilities and safety training fordormitory facility staff. The FMISdatabase and backlog tracking systemare used to prioritize these tasks and toprepare dormitory improvement andrepair budgets. The six locations wereFlandreau Indian Boarding School inSouth Dakota; Chemawa Indian Schoolin Oregon; Sherman Indian High Schoolin California; Blackfeet Boarding Schoolin Montana; and Pueblo PintadoCommunity School and Wingate HighSchool in New Mexico.

project management and instruction of standardized PMI techniques for over20 years. The project managers concluded that more details about the schoolofficials and school boards could be useful and that forms and proceduresnow in use by OFMC project managers should provide a clearer delineationof processes. Pre-planning and planning phases of BIA projects will begreatly enhanced through this effort.

BIA School Facilities Standardization ProjectRecommended School Building Systems Will Use Design Template Approach forBuilding Components and Modules To Ensure Quality, Affordability and Tradition

Members of the BIA School Facilities Standardization Projectmet in August to formulate guidelines for using templates indesigning building components and modules for NewConstruction and Replacement School projects. Earlier thisyear, top BIA school construction officials met withrepresentatives of the American Indian Council of Architectsand Engineers (AICAE) to update the status of this project. Theproject allows significant use of cultural designs in schoolbuildings. The use of templates also permits efficient designand construction scheduling and ensures quality.

The committee recommended that new school designs bebased on local geography, on building types, i.e., classroomsor dormitories, and on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDSilver Certification criteria.

Specific recommendations include using wall systems,such as structural concrete masonry unit (CMU) withmasonry veneer and insulated panels, and roof systems,such as 4KEE membrane (fully adhered). Regionalmaterials, colors and textures will be incorporated into thedesign of the schools. Floor plans for the various facilitieswill be developed in accordance with applicable codesand standards based on the BIA Educational SpaceCriteria Handbook and in recognition of local site features.

The committee members include BIA project managers,facilities managers and safety officials. The committee isassisted by an Indian-owned architectural firm, MOAArchitectural Partnership of Denver, Colo.

The Sun Warms Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School’sGymnasium and Cafeteria Water; Seba Dalkai pending

This solar panel heats water used in the gym-nasium and cafeteria at Lac Courte Oreilles.

Seba Dalkai’s solar panel generated electricityfor the old school.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School inWisconsin installed a closed-loop solarwater heater this year to bring hot waterto the school’s cafeteria andgymnasium. A computer-modelingprogram used weather data from NASAand output data from other sites innorthern Wisconsin to recommend a238-square-foot custom flat platecollector for the 325-student school.The system is attached to a 210-gallontank for hot water storage. The BIA’sDivision of Environmental and CulturalResources funded the improvements.

Seba Dalkai Boarding School’s solarpower panel was used to add electricalpower to the school, but it wasunhooked when the replacementschool was constructed. (Seba Dalkaiwas among the first replacementschools to utilize a geothermal heating-and cooling system). OFMC’s EnergyProgram is analyzing the requirementsto reattach the solar power panel to theschool’s electrical system.

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction

A Look at School and Dormitory Construction Projects Across the Navajo and Hopi Reservations as of 2007

Calvert WiliamsFacility Manager

WinslowResidentialHall

Rendering of newSecond Mesa Day School

Groundbreaking at Wingate High School

Henry BegayFacility Manager

Rendering of new Leupp School

Construction ofKinlani Dormin Flagstaff

Rendering of new KinlaniBordertown Dormitory

Ojo Encino Day School

Rendering of new Rough RockCommunity School Library

Construction site for Rough Rock Library

Benny JoeFacility Manager

Navajo Preparatory SchoolClassroom Building Addition

Tuba City BoardingSchool site

Second Mesagymnasium

construction

Campus of Kayenta Community School

Rendering of new Winslow Residential Hall

From Flagstaff, Ariz., to Cuba, N.M., school buildings, dormitories andlibraries are being planned, designed and constructed by OFMC.Major campus rebuilding projects at Tuba City Boarding School and

Kayenta Community School, both in Arizona, have been reinvigorated, whilethe massive elementary school-high school campus at Ft. Wingate, N.M., isentering its final construction phase. Eventually, a series of three replace-ment dormitories will traverse Interstate 40 through eastern Arizona, makingup the southern boundary of the Navajo Reservation: the soon-to-be-com-pleted Kinlani Bordertown Dormitory in Flagstaff, the recently completedTissYaaKin Residential Hall in Holbrook and the upcoming Winslow Resi-dential Hall, now in final design stage.

Rendering of new Jeehdeez’a Academy

Rendering of newTuba City Boarding School

Elevation of new Dilcon Community School

Rendering of new Pueblo Pintado School

Rendering of newKayenta Community School

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction 36

Focus

continued on page 7

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Oglala Sioux Tribal Offenders Facility Opens as Jail Conditions Continue to Improve

BIA Detention Center ImprovementCondition July 2004 June 2005 January 2006 October 2006 Good 3 7 13 21 Fair 2 5 5 7 Poor 30 23 18 22 Total 35 35 36* 50** * One BIA-operated Detention Center added. ** 14 Detention Centers (receiving BIA O&M funding) added.

Since FY 2004, theBIA’s Office of JusticeServices and theOffice of FacilitiesManagement andConstruction havebeen working toaddress serious

The FacilitiesConstructionIndex (FCI) for FY2006 was 0.0914for 50 detentioncenters. In FY2004, the FCIwas 0.2622 for 35

Seba Dalkai maintenance worker Larry Osochecks the school’s geothermal heating pipes.

BIA-operated Detention Centers. The FCI indicates that abuilding is in good condition if it is rated 0.0000 to 0.0500. Abuilding in poor condition is rated 0.1000 or more. One exampleof the success of the joint detention center improvement effort isthe Oglala Sioux Tribal Offenders Facility, which will open soonin Pine Ridge, S.D.

deficiencies in the detention centers operated or funded by theBIA. In February, the Department of the Interior asked BIA toinclude all 50 detention centers which receive BIA Operations &Maintenance funding in its Government Performance andResults Act tracking system, instead of just the 36 BIA-operateddetention centers.

A day room (left) is ready in the 56,500-square-foot Oglala Sioux TribalOffenders Facility (above/below). The facility will hold 144 adult inmates.

University of New Mexico Continuing Education Instructor JaneBetterton and OFMC project managers discuss implementingcurrent standards for project management into their OFMC duties.

OFMC Project Managers Review PMI PrinciplesOFMC projectmanagers recentlyreviewed nationallyrecognized bestpractices establishedby the ProjectManagement Institute(PMI). ChemicalEngineer JaneBetterton led thediscussion. She hasbeen involved in

BIA Dormitory Conditionsand Operations Evaluated

During March and April, the Bureau ofIndian Affairs Office of Audit andEvaluation reviewed six Bureau of IndianEducation (BIE) operated studentdormitories across Indian Country. Thereview was part of the periodicevaluation process required by theOffice of Management and Budget(OMB) Circular A-123. Michael Oliva,Director of the Office of InternalEvaluation and Assessment, led thereview team. Participants included theOffice of Facilities, Environmental, andCultural Resources (formerly OMSS), theOffice of Facilities Management andConstruction and the Division of Safetyand Risk Management. The field reviewsconcentrated on dormitory conditionsand life safety code compliance, whileBIE reviewed the dormitory programoperations.

A portion of the reviews noted thatOFMC is upgrading cooling systemsand carpets in many dormitories andproviding facilities and safety training fordormitory facility staff. The FMISdatabase and backlog tracking systemare used to prioritize these tasks and toprepare dormitory improvement andrepair budgets. The six locations wereFlandreau Indian Boarding School inSouth Dakota; Chemawa Indian Schoolin Oregon; Sherman Indian High Schoolin California; Blackfeet Boarding Schoolin Montana; and Pueblo PintadoCommunity School and Wingate HighSchool in New Mexico.

project management and instruction of standardized PMI techniques for over20 years. The project managers concluded that more details about the schoolofficials and school boards could be useful and that forms and proceduresnow in use by OFMC project managers should provide a clearer delineationof processes. Pre-planning and planning phases of BIA projects will begreatly enhanced through this effort.

BIA School Facilities Standardization ProjectRecommended School Building Systems Will Use Design Template Approach forBuilding Components and Modules To Ensure Quality, Affordability and Tradition

Members of the BIA School Facilities Standardization Projectmet in August to formulate guidelines for using templates indesigning building components and modules for NewConstruction and Replacement School projects. Earlier thisyear, top BIA school construction officials met withrepresentatives of the American Indian Council of Architectsand Engineers (AICAE) to update the status of this project. Theproject allows significant use of cultural designs in schoolbuildings. The use of templates also permits efficient designand construction scheduling and ensures quality.

The committee recommended that new school designs bebased on local geography, on building types, i.e., classroomsor dormitories, and on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEEDSilver Certification criteria.

Specific recommendations include using wall systems,such as structural concrete masonry unit (CMU) withmasonry veneer and insulated panels, and roof systems,such as 4KEE membrane (fully adhered). Regionalmaterials, colors and textures will be incorporated into thedesign of the schools. Floor plans for the various facilitieswill be developed in accordance with applicable codesand standards based on the BIA Educational SpaceCriteria Handbook and in recognition of local site features.

The committee members include BIA project managers,facilities managers and safety officials. The committee isassisted by an Indian-owned architectural firm, MOAArchitectural Partnership of Denver, Colo.

The Sun Warms Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School’sGymnasium and Cafeteria Water; Seba Dalkai pending

This solar panel heats water used in the gym-nasium and cafeteria at Lac Courte Oreilles.

Seba Dalkai’s solar panel generated electricityfor the old school.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa School inWisconsin installed a closed-loop solarwater heater this year to bring hot waterto the school’s cafeteria andgymnasium. A computer-modelingprogram used weather data from NASAand output data from other sites innorthern Wisconsin to recommend a238-square-foot custom flat platecollector for the 325-student school.The system is attached to a 210-gallontank for hot water storage. The BIA’sDivision of Environmental and CulturalResources funded the improvements.

Seba Dalkai Boarding School’s solarpower panel was used to add electricalpower to the school, but it wasunhooked when the replacementschool was constructed. (Seba Dalkaiwas among the first replacementschools to utilize a geothermal heating-and cooling system). OFMC’s EnergyProgram is analyzing the requirementsto reattach the solar power panel to theschool’s electrical system.

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction

Some facility man-agers in northwest-ern New Mexicohad to performemergency repairs

The Chippewa Cree Tribe, the BIA, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Mon-tana officials began the construction of the North Central Montana Regional Wa-ter System in August. The area to be served by this water system includes the

Rocky Boy’sReservation.

The water sys-tem will treatwater from theRocky Moun-tains which isstored in LakeElwell. The lakeis formed bythe Bureau ofReclamation’sTiber Dam, lo-cated about 15miles south ofChester, Mt. A50-mile pipelinefrom the lake willbring water to an

estimated 18,000 Indian and non-Indian users in 18 towns, counties, water dis-tricts and colonies in north-central Montana.

The planning, design and construction of the water system is authorized byPub. L. 107-331, which requires the BIA to provide operations, maintenanceand replacement funding for the system. BIA-OFMC will provide training foremployees hired or contracted to operate and maintain the water system. Theproject will be built by the Chippewa Cree Construction Corp. Subcontractorswill work on building the intake structure which will require drilling 80 feet down

2

Briefs

7

continued from page 6

New Videotapes Will AssistSafe Dormitory Evacuation

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Officials Gather for August Ground Breaking Ceremonyfor Montana’s Rocky Boy’s Reservation Water Project

New Fire Stations Are Welcome Sight in Indian CountryHeated fire stations arebeing constructed byOFMC throughout IndianCountry. Since fire truckshave large water tanksand normally have waterinside the pump ready forimmediate fire suppres-sion response, the newstations will ensure that

(From left) Montana Congressman Denny Rehburg; Acting BIA RockyMountain Regional Director Ed Parisian, a Chippewa Cree-Rocky Boy’sTribal member; and the co-chairmen of the Rocky Boy’s/North CentralMontana Regional Water System Dan Keil and Bruce Sunchild, also aChippewa Cree-Rocky Boy’s tribal member, begin construction of the watersystem during an August ground breaking ceremony.

Storms Damage Schools Just Before Classes Begin

Flood waters poured into thenew gymnasium at Navajo

Preparatory School inFarmington, N.M., (above

right). Storm winds blew out awindow (above left) at

Ch’ooshgai Community Schoolin Tohatchi, N.M. and a broken

dike cut off access to LakeValley Navajo School nearCrownpoint, N.M. (center)

While Cemeteries Aren’t Listed in FMIS, They Need CareWhile there is no separate cat-egory in the FMIS Backlog database for cemeteries located atsome BIA sites, the plots stillneed attention from facilities staffand grounds crews. At HaskellIndian Nations University, thecemetery on the southeast edgeof campus holds 109 tomb-stones, mostly those of youthswho died and were buried at theLawrence, Kan., school.

before their schools could open this Fall. Heavy rainsand stormy weather caused numerous problems.

This fire station will serve Crystal Boarding School in New Mexico.

Gillis Miller, a member of the Haskell Indian NationsUniversity grounds crew, cuts grass at Haskell Cemetery.

the fire pump does not freeze. The fire stations are prefabricated, 1,980 square-feet metal buildings, with two bays, electric overhead doors, smoke exhaustsystems, rest rooms and offices. They also have meeting and fire training areas.For more information, contact Tsosie Tsinhnahijnnie, Project Manager, orEdward Abeita, Structural Fire Protection Program Manager, at (505) 563-5109.

The Structural Fire Protection Program(SFPP) produced three fire evacuationvideos—“Grab Your Shoes,” “StayCool and Stay Alive,” and “What YouShould Know”—for use at dormitories.The videos were made mandatoryviewing for all dormitory occupants bythe Director of the Bureau of IndianEducation. Parents and guardians alsoare encouraged to view the videos.

The videos will provide all dormitoryoccupants with an understanding of firealarm and fire protection systems. Thevideos provide the occupants properevacuation and accountability proce-dures. For information, contact EdwardAbeita, OFMC SFPP Manager, at(505) 563-5109.

Energy Conscious DesignAward to Baca / Dlo’ay Azhi

The Associated General Contractors ofAmerica in New Mexico gave their2006 Best Building Award to the BIA’sBaca / Dlo’ ay Azhi ConsolidatedReplacement Community School forits energy conscious design. The79,000 square-foot school in Prewitt,N.M., is LEED certified by the U.S.Green Building Council.

The school also earned the 2005Environmental Achievement Awardfrom the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency (Region 9) for commitment tothe environment, and the 2004 Depart-ment of the Interior EnvironmentalAchievement Award.

An additional part of the review follows upon a 2005 Survey Report on the NationalStatus of Residential Life, developed forBIE, which focused on staffing andstudent needs. The Survey Report didnot focus on facilities but madereferences to residential school design,recommending that future residences besingle story and configured with wingsjoined at a common center. Therecommendation stems from an analysisof staffing patterns, which are determinedby the number of floors in a studentresidence. “Residential schools need toplan their tours of duty based on theconfiguration of the residential buildings,”stated the Survey Report. The reportincluded a response from one residentialschool that “five dorm halls on twodifferent levels must be covered by onestaff member.”

The 2005 Survey Report for BIE included:A profile of the Indian residentialstudent, i.e., his or her educationhistory, referral reasons, familybackground and personal and socialhistory. This profile is based on 1,563individual student profiles submittedfrom 44 residential schools.

A requirement to review thequalifications of residential school staffand determine their training needs.Respondents indicated that residentialstaff should have at least an AssociatesDegree to work in the dorms.

A process for reviewing services,interventions, counseling, social work,instruction and recreation offered in thedorms.

The goal of the Survey Report was tomake recommendations that would betterserve the needs of residential students.

OFMC Supervisory General Engineer John King details the BIA’srole in the water system, which will serve Indians and non-Indians.

and then tunneling an-other 320 feet to the lake.

The construction projectwill cost $270 million.The federal governmentwill pay 80 percent of thetotal cost. It will take 10to 15 years to completeand will transport approxi-mately 10,000 acre-feet ofwater to the Rocky Boy’sReservation.

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities Management and Construction

OCTOBER 2006

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SERVICES

8

LagoonsFacility ManagementRenovates Sewage Pondson the Navajo ReservationNavajo Region Facility Management hasrenovated 13 total-containment sewagelagoon sites at schools across the NavajoReservation over the past three years. Anincrease in the number of studentsattending the schools has resulted ingreater sewage system use. The projectswere developed following a Regionalreview of deficiencies and were funded bythe OFMC Facility ManagementProgram. The FMIS backlog databasewas used to initiate and track the projectsrelated to the lagoons, some of whichwere constructed in the 1960s. Therenovations, which include the repairingof sewage lines leading from the schoolsto the lagoons, will ensure that lagooncapacity meets user demand.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

Penalty for private use $300

The Office of Management Support Services (OMSS) was renamed the Office of Facilities,Environmental and Cultural Resources (OFECR) in August 2006. The OFECR oversees theOffice of Facilities Management and Construction, the Division of Safety and Risk Managementand the Division of Environmental and Cultural Resources Management.OF

ECR

UNITED STATES

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

OFFICE OF FACILITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL and

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Office of Facilities Management and Construction

1011 Indian School Road, NW Suite 335

PUBLIC NOTICE

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Facilities, Environmental and Cultural Resources

Shonto Preparatory School’s sixsewage ponds were upgraded this year

with the removal of sludge, therenovation of dikes and the installationof replacement fencing and piping, all

part of the Navajo Region’s sewagelagoon improvements.

INSIDE

See Page 4 to catch a glimpse of the Indian schoolconstruction activity across the Four Corners region.

Switch to NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code Allows One Standard

More than a year has passed since the National FireProtection Association’s (NFPA) building construction andsafety code, called the NFPA 5000, replaced the1997 Uniform Building Code (UBC) asthe approved standard foundin the BIA’s SafetyHandbook and containedin the 25 IAM.

Bureau safety andconstruction managers reportthat the use of the NFPA 5000,which combines building and lifesafety codes, has eliminated thedifficulties of applying separate lifesafety and building codes (where life safety codes wouldalways prevail).

“It makes sense to use one source, NFPA 5000,” said CharlesJaynes, Chief of the Division of Safety and Risk Management. “Therelative importance of fire codes verses building safety codes is

already addressed.”

NFPA 5000 was adopted in June 2005 for usein the planning and design of all Bureauconstruction projects, including renovationsand modernizations commonly supervised atthe Regions. All projects designed after June2005 are required to meet the NFPA 5000.Projects that were in design prior to June 2005still fall under the UBC, which had been theBureau’s standard building code since 1981.

The NFPA 5000 can be purchased from the NFPA by calling 1-800-344-3555 or by visiting its website at. www.nfpa.org and choosingthe link to the catalogue.

Office of Facilities,Environmental, andCultural Resources

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Indian School Construction Resounds Across the Hopi and Navajo Reservations

The increase in BIA Replacement School and FI&R funding in Fiscal Years 2001-2004 has resulted in a flurry of OFMC projectsnow underway across the Navajo and Hopi Reservations. Indian students on these reservations attend scores of schools and live indormitories that are scheduled to be upgraded from their current poor conditions.

Schools / Dormitories on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations Condition October 2005 October 2006 October 2007* Good 8 10 21 Fair 6 6 6 Poor 56 54 43 Total 70 70 70

* Anticipated

Other reservations in Indian Country also have had an upswing in BIA school construction. Tribes in the Dakotas have seen theopening of Tiospa Zina Tribal School and Enemy Swim Day School, the current construction of Ojibwa Millennium and TurtleMountain high schools and Circle of Nations - Wahpeton Indian Boarding School and the groundbreaking last month at PorcupineDay School. Northwest tribes have seen the replacement of Lummi Tribal School and Paschal Sherman Indian School, withMuckleshoot Tribal School now in the planning stage. The Mississippi Choctaws have assisted in funding replacement elementaryschools, and a new replacement school complex for the Cherokee Nation in North Carolina is underway.