"I have been working at Dart for two and a half years now," said Cam'Ron Solomon, assistant chiller plant technician at Dart. "What brought me to Dart was that after I saw this position advertised, it was the first time that I had been introduced to the HVAC industry, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to broaden my knowledge in that field.
"I see this technology as a necessity if we want to ensure people can live and work comfortably here," he added. "Before I came to Dart, I was at CUC and this was a new field for me, so I was excited to jump in with an open mind. Knowing how big Camana Bay is as well, I knew it would be interesting working here. We have one of the largest chiller plants on the island in terms of capacity."
To Solomon, the work he does goes beyond keeping people cool – it is integral to Camana Bay as a community.
"I feel like the chiller plant is the heart of the Town Centre," he said with a smile. "If we do plan a shutdown, there is a strict time period within which we have to have the system back online because we know that without air conditioning, our tenants will be extremely uncomfortable. We work hard to ensure everything works efficiently and airflow is optimised."
Kevin Line, chief building engineer at Dart, describes Solomon as a fantastic young team member with lots of potential.
"Cam'Ron demonstrates strong judgment and decision-making skills and is rapidly learning in his role. He is dedicated, consistently goes the extra mile when needed and shows a strong work ethic," he said, adding that he is excited to support his technical training and career growth within Dart’s property management engineering team.
CBT: What drew you to this field?
CS: Mainly the fact that it was a new experience for me, and I wanted to become knowledgeable about the HVAC industry. Once I saw the position advertised and again, knowing the scale of Camana Bay, I knew working for this company would push me a lot more than working in residential properties. I have always been interested in the technical aspects of this industry and understanding how systems in different places operate.
CBT: What is your favourite part of your job?
CS: That would be encountering new challenges and finding different solutions to overcome them. We have a lot of different operating systems, so there are many challenges that come up and always something new to learn.
CBT: Do you have a set schedule for tasks or is every day different?
CS: Some things are dealt with daily, but every day is different. In addition to my role at the chiller plant, I also oversee the maintenance of the BTUs (chilled water meters) of the tenants that we use to account for each tenant’s chilled water usage. (The chillers cool water, which is then sent over to the Town Centre for use in the air-handling units.) Whatever comes up on any given day I deal with it as it arises.
CBT: What are some examples of the variety of tasks you are presented with as assistant chiller plant technician?
CS: Maintenance and review of tenants’ BTUs. Maintenance of critical equipment over at the plant, e.g., the chillers and cooling towers, and any other equipment we house over there (daily checks and making adjustments when needed). I am also in contact with manufacturers regarding equipment issues, for the purpose of technical support.
CBT: Who inspires you?
CS: My supervisor, Chiller Plant manager Ivan Webb, really inspires me because of the dedication he shows to the company and his knowledge of the Town Centre. He knows this place and the operating systems like the back of his hand. I aspire to be like him one day.
Timeline of a typical day
This article was originally published in the September/October2024 print edition of Camana Bay Times.
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