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Job Profile
How does your job fit into SKYCITY?
Johnston Dick & Associates provide the expertise to handle the telecommunications issues that are required to manage this world-class facility.
When it was designed it was envisaged that about half of the Tower's income would come from telecommunications so it's a very important aspect of the Tower's viability.
What do you like most about your job?
Because I've been closely involved in Sky Tower since the very beginning (even when it was going to be constructed on Symonds St) I consider it a part of me. I love being in charge of a major part of such an incredible achievement.
What are some of the problems or difficulties you face in your job?
Occasionally we have to shut down services in order to allow maintenance. Such disturbances are difficult for the tenants sometimes, but are essential for certain types of work, particularly outside, mast maintenance where the radio fields are dangerously high in some places.
This is not really a problem but it's hard for everyone and I don't enjoy being the one who has to announce such work. But the users are generally understanding and we try to minimise the pain of disruptions by doing the work at night and on weekends where possible.
To complicate matters, I need to give as much notice as possible for these breaks and the work is often weather dependent so we can have the whole thing organised only to have to postpone due to bad weather. Then I have to start over.
Also, Sky Tower is a first in New Zealand in that it is available to anyone who wants to use it and the tenants can use whoever they want to install and service their equipment. This makes it more difficult to administer because it's sometimes hard to tell who left a mess or left a door open, etc. With so many people working there you often can't tell who's responsible for what. Having said that, I'm proud that Sky Tower has such a friendly and flexible policy.
Who are the other people within SKYCITY that you have to cooperate with in order to do your job?
We deal with management at a very high level when signing up new tenants. All terms have to be agreed by both parties.
I also deal with the Properties Department on a daily basis to get things sorted out. This includes things like high temperatures on a floor, isolation of smoke detectors for certain types of work, coordinating window cleaning and other outside work where it could impact on a telecommunications user. Even if a light is burned out, I'll often be the first to hear about it and I'll sort it out with Properties.
I also deal with Security by issuing access approvals and sending the approvals through so that only the authorised people can get in.
I coordinate the telecommunications riggers who work on all equipment that is outside Sky Tower. This sometimes affects the Vertigo climbs and it all has to be sorted out to minimise the disruption to their service and make sure everyone is safe.
How does working with these people enable you to do your job better?
Everyone has their own area of expertise and we work together as a team to make sure everything is done properly. The pool of talent is immense and there seems to be no obstacle that can't be overcome.
Please give a run down of a 'day in the life' of your job.
Throughout the day, faxes will arrive from various tenants or their contractors asking for access approval for some job they want to do. I need to check that the work is legitimate and won't affect their rental, that the people are authorised by the tenant and that Security is made aware of their arrival so that they can get in.
Then I might get a phone call or email from someone who wants to use the Tower. I'll sort out whether it will work with regards to interference to other tenants and sort out other details including the rent for their proposal.
Then someone may call to complain about something someone else has done which causes them a problem of some sort. Then I have to get in the middle of it to help sort it out.
And, during routine inspections, I sometimes find something wrong with what someone's done which could create an inconvenience to another tenant or an unsafe condition. Then I'll have to find out who's responsible and make sure it's put right.
Then of course there are the hundreds of other things I do that aren't related to Sky Tower.
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