A lot of us enjoy sitting down to a good meal. Yet, do we all understand what it takes to make sure that these meals are prepared safely and efficiently? Dave Thomas, a member of The Ginn Group team and Utilities Supervisor at Fort Knox, gives us just a little insight into what large-scale food service might actually look like.
Thomas has worked for The Ginn Group for 16 years helping to provide dining facility maintenance in the 21 kitchens at Fort Knox. This type of maintenance is provided to all facilities to ensure that each area is clean, working, and available for use.
These duties entail checking all coils and outlets to make sure they are working properly, along with maintaining appropriate cleaning standards in every prep area, kitchen, and dining space. Our team maintains over 800 different pieces of equipment and appliances, from potato peelers, walk-in freezers, fountain drink servers, industrial dishwashers, and Combi-ovens. This preventative maintenance requires year-round attention – from busy seasons (like summer, when the ROTC cadets are in for training), to off-seasons when facilities still must be maintained and the quality kept up.
These dining facilities are especially valuable because they help to offer services to those at Fort Knox as a part of the Army’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program, or “MWR.” Thomas explains that this program aids in promoting the quality of life “that directly supports readiness by providing a variety of community, Soldier, and Family support activities and services.” This is evident in, not only the food that comes from these kitchens but in the services that these kitchens help the base provide. For example, of the 21 kitchens on the Fort Knox campus, three of them are in daycares and one is in Human Resources, whose work spans the entire campus.
While the general public may not put too much thought into the year-round labor that goes into producing the food on the table, it is the dedicated dining facilities maintenance team and their solid performance that make it happen. To know more about what goes on in dining facility maintenance, or how to get involved, reach out today!
