Michael Watson

Michael J. Watson, Sr.

Site Technician

Horseshoe Lake State Park, Granite City, IL

Department of Natural Resources | July 16-2024 – Present

• Operate and maintain various equipment, including batwing mowers, zero-turn mowers, push mowers, weed eaters, chainsaws, pole saws, and arm mowers, to manage park grounds effectively.

• Service and manage campground reservations through direct interaction with park visitors, ensuring a welcoming and accommodating environment.

• Routinely clean and disinfect park restrooms, shelters, picnic areas, and other communal spaces to maintain high sanitary standards.

• Conduct daily litter and debris removal to preserve the park’s cleanliness and appeal.

• Supervise check stations during the annual duck/goose hunting season (October 28 – January), assisting hunters with check-ins and organizing hunting draws; foster positive relationships with hunters.

• Utilize a 1-ton dump truck to collect and transport debris for controlled burning operations.

• Construct and repair park picnic tables using hand tools, circular saws, and table saws.

• Maintain cleanliness in the main office by mopping floors, disinfecting surfaces, washing windows, and cleaning kitchen appliances (microwave, refrigerator, and sink).

• Keep meticulous records of tool inventory and park supplies, including PPE, hand tools, cleaning products, and maintenance equipment.

• Managed controlled burns to clear phragmites near shoreline.
• Handled comprehensive building maintenance in areas of plumbing, electrical work and HVAC.

• Enhanced project efficiency by assisting in the preparation of work plans and schedules.
• Maximized equipment performance through regular maintenance checks and troubleshooting issues as they arose.
• Supported project completion within budget through diligent tracking of expenses and resource allocation.
• Mitigated risk factors on-site by adhering strictly to established health and safety guidelines while promoting awareness among fellow workers.
• Mowing using 20 ft batwing mowers, mowing using 10ft batwing mowers.
• Mowing using zero turn mowers and tractor mowers.
• Weed eating bridges and lake banks.
• Tree trimming, tree cutting, using chainsaw and pole saws.
• Performed routine maintenance on equipment batwings and mowers and chain saws.
• Loading and removing debris from the park. Using pesticides.
• Building maintenance such as plumbing electrical and hvac.

• Used hand saws and power equipment such as chainsaws to trim trees and cut down trees.
• Supported fire prevention and suppression goals by building fire breaks and eliminating hazardous brush.
• Painting picnic shelters and fishing piers.
• Scraped paint off old trash cans and freshly painted them with oil based paint.
• Built new bird houses and new picnic tables.
• Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.
• Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
• Operating push mowers, tractor mowers, zero turn mowers ,Batwing mowers, weed eaters.
• Operating the backhoe, bobcat
• Janitorial skills such as cleaning , mopping, waxing floors , washing windows and using disinfectant and chemicals.
• Operated chain saws and other tree cutting and trimming equipment to cut down trees and trim them.
• Being apart of safe prescribed burns.
• routine maintenance such as changing oil, fluids, spark plugs and filters on trucks and equipment.
• Doing the daily park rounds which consist of picking up trash and debris throughout the park , and making sure the park trash cans have new bags in them .
• Using pesticides to maintain weeds.
• Changing furnace filters for the office and for the golf course.
• Planting trees and flowers
• Cleaning the park bathrooms daily and disinfecting them.
• Maintenance on heating and cooling
• Welding on equipment

• Collected waste in approved disposal bags and sealed with correct procedures.
• Identified materials requiring removal or special handling.
• Secured and contained asbestos and hazardous materials for transport.
• Prepared work areas with proper containment procedures and filtration systems.
• Assembled and positioned decontamination areas at exits of job sites to prevent harm to bystanders and unprotected persons.
• Constructed and placed containment corridors between worksites to properly contain asbestos and hazardous materials.
• Verified OSHA compliance for worksite and coworkers to establish safe environment.
• Utilized personal protective equipment during building demolition and asbestos removal.
• Utilized diagnostic and identification tools to identify hazardous materials and differentiate between materials.
• Complied with environmental laws and regulations concerning asbestos and hazardous waste removal.

• Maintained knowledge of industry policies and procedures to set up and operate equipment safely.
• Performed inspections and routine maintenance on equipment.
• Provided on-the-job training to newly hired workers and team members.
• Set up machines to start production cycles and controlled machine settings.

. Operated heavy equipment such as rubber tire rollers, backhoes, sheet footers, bull dossiers , tampers, and meters to shoot grades

• Operated technical and mechanical equipment and adjusted machine settings according to work cycles.
• Assisted with equipment startups and machine installation tasks.
• Worked outside in all weather conditions.
• Performed equipment tests, calibrations and repairs to keep machines running smoothly and prevent malfunctions.
• Inspected machine parts with measuring tools.