After nine years of partnership with the Park District Risk Management Agency of Illinois (PDRMA), the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands will no longer manage the Playground Maintenance Technician program.
The Playground Maintenance Technician (PMT) training program is the most comprehensive, long-standing maintenance and inspection training program in the country. It teaches systems, processes, and best practices in proactive playground maintenance. The PMT certificate program equips boots-on-the-ground staff with the knowledge, skills, and practices to most effectively prevent incidents and minimize liability.
After previously partnering with Clemson University, PDRMA and Eppley joined forces in 2016 to operate the program outside of the state of Illinois. Eppley’s license with PDRMA expires on December 31, 2024 and will not be renewed.
Since 2016, Eppley has operated 85 classes, both in person and online across the nation along with a self-paced online program. During that time, over 2,500 parks department, school district, and other organization staff members have completed the training to improve playground safety and reduce liability. PDRMA is now working to determine the next steps for this groundbreaking program. Please contact Bill Hooker, bhooker@pdrma.org, for questions about the PMT program.