For this edition of A Day in the Life, we wandered slightly south of Town Centre to speak with Perry Ezekiel, general maintenance technician for the Camana Bay Sports Complex.
"I started with my brother-in-law who was working at Dart house with his construction company, just after Hurricane Ivan in 2004, working on repairing the house," said Ezekiel. "Then Mr. Joe Gadsby, who used to work with Dart, said he needed people to come over to Camana Bay to clean up the property, and he asked if I and some others would like to take care of that. We were here two or three years working at Cayman International School and Camana Bay Sports Complex. Once Jeffrey Wight took over the running of the sports complex, he offered me the opportunity to sign on with Dart and continue to maintain Block 18. I love sports so I was happy to accept the position and have continued there to this day."
CBT: What drew you to this field?
PE: I prefer to work with my hands in a physical job rather than sitting behind a desk. I just love doing this because I love keeping all the different areas of the sports complex clean and knowing that people appreciate the standard of care I provide.
CBT: What is your favourite part of your job?
PE: One, I am so happy to hear the positive feedback from tenants when they use the pool and the field, and the gym and they tell me that it is clean and well-kept. Two, I love to keep the ARC floor clean. It looks so shiny and beautiful, and I see when children and teachers come in and it makes them happy to be able to use such a beautiful facility.
CBT: Do you have a set schedule for tasks or is every day different?
PE: Normally, I clean the gym and sweep the field first thing, but the timing of my different tasks depends on when last those areas were used. For example, if the ARC was used late on a Sunday, I will clean that first thing on Monday. But if the ARC is already clean, I will sweep the field instead. I must be aware of what needs to be done first each day and take care of that.
CBT: What are some examples of the variety of tasks you are presented with as general maintenance technician?
PE: Sweeping the soccer field, cleaning the ARC floors and brushing the pool until the children arrive. Vacuuming the pool takes two or three hours to complete, but I do that after everyone has left at 7:30 p.m. I do this four days a week. Once I finish the pool or the ARC, I drive around the field to make sure all trash is cleared up, and after that I clear all Block 18 walkways using the blower. I clean all the glass windows around the ARC and change any lightbulbs that need changing. I service the drains in the ARC and the pool area, and I clear the basketball and tennis courts. Anything that falls under maintenance, I take care of it.
CBT: Who inspires you?
PE: Three people inspire me. One of them is Ms. Evett Brown, our dispatcher at PM Engineering. She is always on top of everything and helping everybody, and she always has that 110% to help anyone that requests it. Denzel Washington inspires me too, as an actor and as a person, because I believe he has integrity and is a good example of a loyal and honest person. Last but certainly not least is my daughter. She inspires me and gives me courage to continue working and give her a better future. She is in Honduras, so I miss her very much, but she keeps me going.
This article was originally published in the November 2024 print edition of Camana Bay Times.
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