Jeffery Bernardi

When I first got in the trade in 1985 I worked for a small independent company Fisher Elevator. We did service, modernizations and repairs to elevators. When they ran out of work 2 years later They arranged for me to go to work for Schindler Elevator. The first job I worked on in 1987 was a new construction job installing traction elevators. The first couple of weeks I was running rails and because of my ability to learn fast I was quickly made to work with the lead mechanic. We were in charge of all the machine room work. Laying out the machines, controllers and duct work for a bank of 4 elevators. As the cars were built ( which we participated in ) we installed installed all the door equipment and hall buttons etc until it was time to adjust the cars and put them into service. We were sent to the next Schindler job where we continued with the installation of 12 cars at 388 Market Street San Francisco. Still a helper I was put with a mechanic that didn't have the experience that I had in a relatively short amount of time in the trade. I was in charge of reading the prints and laying out the hoist ways and machine beams. Everything that a mechanic was supposed to be doing. So It wasn't long before I was made a temporary mechanic. We were working 12 hour shifts 7 days a week for months because it was a penalty job. I amassed a tremendous amount of experience on that job and the next 2 Schindler jobs. After Schindler I went to work for Mitsubishi Elevator. I was involved in the installation of the first spiral escalators in the United States. Still a helper I was quickly made a TM. the City Center in SF I was sent to do other traction elevators with Mitsubishi.I worked in construction for a total of 8 years. Do everything that it takes to build an elevator and escalator from lay out off of the column lines to final adjusting of the elevator and escalators. In 1993 I started work at Amtech Elevator doing new construction. I took the Mechanics test in 1994 and passed. They kept me working were we were doing mostly repairs of escalators and elevators. I was soon on a service route. Troubleshooting elevators and escalators, doing annual testing and 5 year testing of the units I had on my route. I was given the Macy's route which covered all the Stores from San Jose , Monterey, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Rosa.I was then moved into the Macy's flagship store at Union Square. We serviced, repaired and trouble shot all the elevators and escalators in the stores at the Square. I worked there until Otis bought Amtech. I stayed with Otis while all the other original Amtech employees either quit or were fired I was given a North Bay route where I had 275 units on my route. I did my own repairs, troubleshooting and testing. Annual and 5 year. I was receiving per diem everyday and overscale plus basically on call 24/7 because the other mechanic didn't have any experience on anything other than Otis equipment. I know how to do EVERYTHING related to escalators and elevators from beginning to end. Reading the prints building to reading the prints to trouble shooting.

In Jan 2020 I retired and quickly found that retirement isn't for me. I was in Arizona in February of 2020 ande started thinking about getting back into the trade but decided to think of a better way to stay in the industry that I love. That's when I thought about inspecting. I contacted Matt Johnson in Local 140 in Arizona a told me that the State of Arizona was looking for an Inspector.I applied and got the job. So as an QEI I am doing annual inspections, acceptance inspections of new equipment. I am currently #1 in my office for the number of violations that I write up on each inspection I do. I would be #1 in the number of inspections completed but ! had to take 2 months off for knee replacement surgery.

Making sure that the public is safe using conveyances is very important to me. I take it very seriously. That's why I find so many violations when I do annuals.