On a brisk, early morning, two HVACR instructors and eighteen students from the American School of Technology attended the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Central Ohio Chapter’s 5th Annual Heat-the-Town. The event, which took place October 2, gathers local contractors who assist underprivileged families by doing preventative maintenance on their furnaces for the upcoming winter.
The students assisted in various maintenance and troubleshooting tasks, including checking the heating systems, replacing air filters, and measuring carbon monoxide levels. The students also assisted by putting new batteries in smoke detectors or replacing or installing the smoke detectors where needed.
“AST students have participated in the Franklin County ACCA Heat-the-Town event for three years,” said Wilson Detty, AST’s HVAC Program Chair. “The students always enjoy the event. The students ride with technicians to gain practical experience and help the people in the community. It is an all around rewarding experience for them.”
It’s a community service effort, but it’s also rewarding for the volunteers. “My company has been actively involved for the last six years,” said Jeff Reed, with Custom Air and originator of the ACCA Central Ohio event. “Every year we are invited into a stranger’s home to offer a much needed service that they cannot afford to pay for themselves. After a few moments we are no longer strangers. Oftentimes the homeowner is old or disabled and unable to communicate verbally, but the tears in their eyes or the smiles on their faces tell us how much it means to them that we are there.”
“It’s sad that in this country there are people who cannot heat their homes,” commented John Hetterscheidt of Hetter Heating & Cooling and president of ACCA Central Ohio. “When they use alternative methods of heating, they risk fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. ACCA members volunteer their time and materials to help keep them stay safe as well as comfortable. What they’re doing is truly a life-saving service for their neighbors.”
The day ended with a cookout at the Bryant Habegger Company where the AST students, faculty, and contractors continued to enmesh their experiences and stories. AST students received Certificates of Attendance from John T. Danicki, Director of Education in a small ceremony on the following Monday, October 4, who was proud to distinguish them: “It was an honor and a pleasure to recognize these students who gave freely of their time to help those in need. They should all be commended for giving back to their community.”
October has been declared Heat the Country Month by the ACCA. The Heat-the-Town concept was started by the ACCA North Texas chapter in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Chapters in Akron/Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and Northeast Ohio will also participate in Heat-the-Town events.
Since the Central Ohio Chapter program’s inception, ACCA members have contributed more than $200,000 in parts and labor for close to 1,350 residents. All homeowners are screened and monitored through the Columbus/Franklin County Community Action Agency, IMPACT. AST faculty and students are proud to be a part of the service to the community.
For more information:
www.ast.edu
www.acca.org
