HYANNIS, Mass. - The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Massachusetts (PHCC of Massachusetts) members who provided emergency plumbing and heating services to families of military stationed overseas were recognized May 22 by Brigadier General Donald J. Quenneville, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

During the PHCC of Massachusetts annual convention in Hyannis, General Quenneville presented the PHCC members with a plaque in appreciation of their volunteer work to help Massachusetts National Guard families.

Over the past several months, the PHCC members provided emergency services to seven families for such projects as repairing ruptured hoses and broken pipes. All projects were coordinated through the National Guard, which processes requests for emergency response assistance, and tries to find reputable companies or organizations to complete the work. The PHCC of Massachusetts state office served as the "placement" office for the projects by providing contractors to complete work when the project and location were feasible.

"These have been very fulfilling projects for our members," said George Trethewey, president of PHCC of Massachusetts. "It is a way for them to go in and help someone who is in a difficult situation, such as water in the basement or a heating system that doesn't work. Our members just wanted to do what they could to support out troops."

Massachusetts contractors participating in the program were E.F. Corcoran Plumbing & Heating, Springfield; Denommee Plumbing & Heating, Tyngsboro; Nazzaro Plumbing & Heating, Chelmsford; Trethewey Brothers, Roslindale; and Wilson Plumbing & Heating, East Hampton. Two New Hampshire PHCC members - Bow Plumbing and Heating, Bow, and Swain Plumbing and Heating, Candia - also pitched in and helped on a project in Derry, N.H.

Thomas Theroux, executive director, PHCC of Massachusetts, explained that once the contractor members indicated that they wanted to help in some way with families of military stationed overseas, his research found that the National Guard seemed to be the best fit. Theroux said the relationship has worked out quite well, and the chapter will continue volunteering with the National Guard on a case-by-case basis.

PHCC of Massachusetts represents more than 200 plumbing, heating, and cooling contractors in the state. It is a chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association.

Publication date: 05/24/2004