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Top score on pool test by Vernon Hills’ Emken
Updated: November 5, 2012 6:46PM
Vernon Hills — When it comes to operating a pool, the Vernon Hills Park District has an expert.
Mat Emken, assistant superintendent of parks, earned a perfect score on his 100-question certification exam last month at a two-day conference in Naperville.
“This score ranks in the top one-half percent of all course participants and is a clear indication that the health and safety of your citizens and guests are in very capable care,” wrote Kurt Carmen, administrator at the Ohio Aquatic Council, in a letter to Executive Director Jeff Fougerousse.
The test involved questions on operating and repairing mechanical systems, proper chemical balances, installation of filters and maintaining water levels in pools. Pools at Vernon Hills’ Family Aquatic Center hold 600,000 gallons of water. The facility was built in 1992 and expanded in 2000.
“The test required a lot of math,” Emken said. “When it comes to chemicals, everything has to be precise.”
Emken took his first five-year pool certification test in 1997 and attained a perfect score once before, he said.
Two other park employees took the exam and earned high scores.
