On the first day of the meeting, a detailed school tour was done. Facilities Managers have been told the technical and physical features of AISB.  We have visited classrooms, kitchen, labs, gym etc. FMs have asked a lot of questions to each other. Similar and different points have been shared with the advantages and disadvantages among the schools. Different points of views are very important to find a better way.

AISB has invested 150.000 Euro on the photovoltaic panels project. Head of BMS from Romstal Energy compan came and explain how the technology work, benefits of the project and the difference between solar panels and photovoltaic energy panels.

On the second day of the meeting a school tour was done again mostly for the technical rooms. Especially budget is the hardest problem for the FMs that must be overcome. Security issues were the subject and all the headlines were given below. Facility Manager of Bucharest is going to send a table to all FM in order to fill their school’s datas and facts. Two company representatives came from Building Control (Siemens) and Metrici. They have explained about ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) for security.

Headlines:

• Most of the International Schools have the BMS (Building Monitoring System) which enables to control every part of the building for heating, cooling, lighting or any other issues.
• A lot of pictures have been taken. All of them was attached to the report to have idea about the other International schools.
• AISB has lots of solar panels on the roof which provides hot water and energy saving. As IICS we have 3G (Green. Global, Generous) but only a unit of solar panels made by a student as a project.
• American International School of Bucharest (AISB) solved the darkness of the corridors by putting more lights, opening sky windows on the roof and they have also used shiny, light coloured tiles on the corridors (see photos of the corridors).
• Music rooms are covered with nonflammable soundproof material (see photos).
• AISB does not have any heating problem in the gym like us. Because they have a separate heating and cooling systems for each section / building. The gym is also covered with the isolation material from outside façade and the windows are not as huge as our old gym (see photos of the gym).
• They have a divider curtain made of net. It does not provide soundproof just divide the gym into two parts (see photos of the gym).
• AISB also has a system for the acoustic control (cream cubic materials hanging on the ceiling and grey soundproof materials on the wall) in the gym  (see photos of the gym).
• AISB has auto irrigation system all around the garden and FM emphasizes the advantage from manpower and flexibility of irrigation.
• AISB has a pitch of natural grass and an artificial grass pitch.
• Secondary lockers are metal like ours but they have a different locker system than ours. All the lockers have a lock with code. They do not have the same problems with us (see photos of the lockers).
• Primary lockers are made of wood and they are all white (see photos of the lockers)
• AISB does not have any sand area in the playground. All the playing surfaces are covered with stone and small tiny stones instead of sand (see photos).
• All the gutters are connected to the main water storage and they collect rain water to use. That saves a huge amount of saving in a year as total amount. You may see the photos.
• Sewage pipes and water drainage system is incredible large and enough to get in when it is needed (see photos).
• AISB has bunker (see photos) in the campus but they are not planning to use it since the parents come to campus in a short time. It is an obligation according to Romanian Law. But it might be a good idea for us, we had better to talk on.
• All the windows are covered with myllar at AISB.
• All the parent cars have sticker and the stickers are changed every year in shape and colour. Stickers have validity and number on and the expiry date is also written on the sticker (see the photos). The number of sticker and plate are checked randomly by the security.
• Stickers are not given to the motorcycles since they are easily to be stolen and hard to see the sticker.
• In case of emergency, the average of evacuation time is between 2 and 3 minutes at other schools.
• Every classroom, on the ground floor, has a fire exit in itself.
• Every classroom door has a window on it.
• Reception area was built last year and the office is totally bulletproof. Covered with steel inside and myllar on the glass.
• Lockdown is also in the safety procedure at Helsinki, Sofia. They keep the door keys in an envelope in a small bag, not on the doors. The envelope is also sealed. There is also a luminous vest for the teacher.
• Some schools have magnetic (electronic) card systems for entrance and for some doors. The FMs are very satisfied with the card system and recommends to use.
• US and British Consulates send patrol to school at AISB, at Sofia and at Serbia during the education year everyday at different times and randomly.
• ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) system is very important for the schools and enhance the level of security. The system gives chance to find out that how many and which cars are in the campus at the present. Only the authorized cars are able to come in and the others have to stop and checked by security. Parents are asked to inform the school if the car is stolen or sold and the car is erased from the system by security. Although the car is authorized to enter the campus they are still checked with the mirror by security. The system keeps the records, gives statistics, shows how long the car stayed in the campus, etc. Authorized staff is able to reach the system via tablet, mobile phone, PC etc. Moreover, since you have data about the past it allows you to predict for the future (you can compare special days such as International Days, holidays etc)
• AISB has concrete & steel barriers along the fences. Steel bars are full of concrete and the infrastructure is much more strong than it seems. The project was shared and explained by FM of AISB with the drawings.
• There are also steel barriers in the entrance of the campus which allows to check more safety and directs the cars under the security control (See the photos)
• AISB has the security inhouse and they do not have a CCTV guy to watch the cameras which the FMs are against actually.
• AISB has a fire road all around the campus to let the fire department, ambulance etc come in campus in case of emergency. 10.2016