Steamfitters and MCA help storm-effected homes

As many as 60,000 in the city homes, which were devastated by Hurricane Sandy, are in need of heat, hot water and electricity restoration. To get impacted New Yorkers back into their homes as the winter rapidly approaches, the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York (MCA) and Steamfitters Local 638 are putting their resources, manpower and support behind mayor Bloomberg's NYC Rapid Repairs Program. The free program is designed to help residential property owners in the city make emergency repairs and get them back in their homes as soon as possible. Homeowners must register with NYC Rapid Repairs at www.nyc.gov. "The members of Steamfitters Local 638's top priority is helping neighborhoods rebuild one home at a time. Hundreds of our committed union tradesmen and tradeswomen, along with our union mechanical contractors, will work day and night to get thousands of New Yorkers back in their homes for the holiday season. We strongly support the Bloomberg administration's goal of activating NYC Rapid Repairs as a way to get the job done," said Richard Roberts, Business Agent at Large for Steamfitters Local 638. The emergency repairs program would include the restoration of heat, power and hot water and other limited repairs to protect homes from further damage. Homeowners must register with NYC Rapid Repairs at www.nyc.gov, by calling 311 or can register in person at one of seven restoration centers in Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn or the Bronx. Within 48 hours of registration an inspector will do a damage assessment on the home and the homeowner must then decide to proceed with restoration of heat, power and hot water. Single and two-family home owners must first register with FEMA and provide a FEMA number to NYC Rapid Repairs. Multi-family homeowners do not need a FEMA number. Each day unionized mechanical contractor firms, which generally focus on high density commercial and residential buildings, will set a goal to restore heat to more than a hundred impacted homes. "Members of the Mechanical Contractors Association of New York have been working since day one to repair major New York office and residential towers and buildings impacted by Hurricane Sandy," said Tony Saporito, Executive Vice President of the MCA. "Now every day until the housing crisis subsides, our teams will be fanned out across impacted neighborhoods in the boroughs bringing houses back online as quickly as possible so that they're safe for occupation this winter." The program, coordinated through the office of the Mayor, is supported by FEMA and residential property owners will not be charged for the emergency repair services. Local 638 Steamfitters, as New York's heating system experts, apprentice for five years learning intricate heating and cooling systems that service New York's commercial buildings and residential skyscrapers. "Our members are working as hard as they can to get heat and hot water restored for our fellow New Yorkers," said Patrick Dolan, President of Steamfitters Local 638. "Many of our members also live in the affected areas or have family in these communities so we know firsthand how important it is begin the rebuilding process. Winter is quickly approaching so we want to establish heat for thousands of New Yorkers whose homes need it now. To get this job done we are mobilizing the significant manpower of our industry so that heat is restored in the best and quickest way possible." Restoration centers include 68-20 Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Arverne, Queens; 415 State Road in Breezy Point, Queens; 10-01 Beach 20th Street in Far Rockaway, Queens; 1976 Hylan Boulevard in Dongan Hills, Staten Island; 10 Bouck Court in Gravesend, Brooklyn; 85 Richards Street in Red Hook Brooklyn; and 190 Hollywood Avenue in Throggs Neck, Bronx.