Care of quarters ashore is really not too different from that required aboard ship. On shore stations, a room attendant will normally be employed to perform bed-making and similar hotel services. In fact, quarters maintenance ashore is usually easier because the spaces are less crowded, there are fewer difficult places to clean, and better use can be made of laborsaving equipment.

A well-equipped room service cart will save many steps because all required supplies can be taken to the room in one trip. In addition to carrying all cleaning equipment, the cart should have a place for clean linens, a bag or hamper for soiled linens, and a bag or container into which wastebaskets can be emptied.

Routine care is normally covered by cleaning schedules that list the jobs that are to be done daily and weekly, and personnel are assigned specific cleaning responsibilities. A room inventory should be taken with each daily cleaning using a checkoff list. Any missing items are recorded on the list, and it is referred to the BPO for appropriate action.

Custodial Force (Military or Civilian)

The custodial force is responsible to the BPO for the cleanliness of the BQ. Specifically, the custodial force has the following responsibilities:

As directed by the BPO, and depending upon the type and configuration of the quarters, cleans all the common use areas and the outside areas of the BQ daily

Assists the BPO in maintaining the BQ in an appropriate level of safety, cleanliness, and comfort for the occupants

Reports any complaints or suggestions directly to the BPO received about the BQ. Reports any known or suspected breaches of regulations or discipline within the BQs

Equipment and Supply Rooms

Large amounts of cleaning equipment are ruined and become useless through the simple failure to provide for their proper storage. Brooms, foxtails, and radiator brushes quickly become useless if they are stored with the weight resting on their fibers. They should be suspended from wall mounts. Buffer brushes must be removed from the buffers when not in use. The practice of storing buffers with the brushes still attached soon crushes the fibers. This results in erratic buffer operation and requires the early purchase of new brushes.

Close supervision of the custodial cleaners is needed to make sure only correct cleaning agents are used for each job, and only the prescribed rations are used when mixing products with water. The BQ staff should premix cleaning solutions before their use to avoid unnecessary waste. Swabs should be marked as to specific use (that is, strip, wax, or rinse) and not interchanged. They should be stored with the strands up, from wall mounts, to allow them to dry properly.

Usage data compiled for the cleaning supplies consumed in each building is a valuable tool. It can be used for both locating areas of waste and determining which cleaning agent is most effective.

High and low limits should be established to make sure adequate supplies are always on hand. The person in charge of the bulk storeroom area should maintain a record of receipts, issues, and inventory.

ADMIRAL ZUMWALT AWARD FOR BQ MANAGEMENT

The Secretary of the Navy established the Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Award for BQ Management. Its purpose is to recognize those commands whose Navy bachelor quarters excel in providing responsible, well-managed, and habitable living conditions for naval personnel. Complete details of this award program are contained in the Navy Bachelor Quarters Manual, NAVPERS 15606.

The Admiral Zumwalt Award Program is sponsored by the Secretary of the Navy to indicate the high degree of importance attached to the living conditions of Navy men and women.

BUPERS administers the program, and provides suitable awards to be presented by the Secretary of the Navy to the three finalists in each of the following competitive categories of BEQ and BOQ management operations:

Jumbo - 2,500 or more total spaces Large - 1,000 or more total spaces Medium - 300 to 999 total spaces Small - up to 299 total spaces

A space is defined as an increment of 72 square feet net (living area) for E-1 through E4 trainees and recruits and of 90 square feet for all other enlisted rooms and open bays.

TRAINING

An effective training program in the management and administration of BQs is essential to establishing and maintaining proper standards. Before making any person responsible for a task, you should be sure he or she knows how to perform it correctly. Training takes time and patience, but it pays off and failure to train can be costly.

On-the-job training is used primarily for teaching skills, and may be the best method for teaching complex operations. It is usually accomplished under informal conditions and with small groups. In BQ training situations, it should take place where the job is actually performed.

Ideally, on-the-job training should be preceded by more formal classroom training to give the trainee a thorough grounding in the subject matters. Lectures or lecture-demonstrations may be used to familiarize the trainee with the basic operations and to develop the proper trainee attitudes. If the preliminary training is adequate, the on-the-job training can progress quickly to more advanced skills. In-depth training requirements are identified in NAVPERS 15606.