INDIANAPOLIS - Carrier Corp., a business unit of United Technologies Corp., teamed with the Indianapolis Colts to donate a commercial air conditioner and an automatic standby power generator to the New Orleans Fire Department. The donation was made during the National Football League’s (NFL’s) season opening game between the New Orleans Saints and the Colts at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

Carrier and the Colts donated a 25-ton Aquasnap air-cooled chiller and a Commercial Series standby generator to the New Orleans Fire Department to help get a district firehouse up and running. The fire department, which lost 22 of its 33 firehouses in Hurricane Katrina two years ago, has been working closely with actor Dennis Leary and his organization - the Leary Firefighters Foundation - to rebuild the lost firehouses. To date, seven of the firehouses have been rebuilt.

Air conditioning will allow the New Orleans firefighters to move back into their district house, while the backup generator is critical in keeping fire services going in the event of a power outage. Earlier this year, the same firefighters who will move into the district house were ravaged by a tornado that hit the temporary housing trailer that currently serves as a makeshift base of operations.

“The Colts and Carrier partnering together to send much-needed equipment to the fire department is a small gesture that we hope makes a difference,” said Tom Zupancic, senior vice president, Indianapolis Colts sales and marketing.

“Our sponsorship with the world champion Indianapolis Colts helped make this possible. It’s a great feeling to be a part of the effort to rebuild critical services to the city of New Orleans,” said David Meyers, president, Carrier sales and distribution.

Publication Date: 12/24/2007