Contractors Have Part to Play in CO Education

[Editor’s note: These letters are in response to John R. Hall’s editorial “Even the Media Can’t Cover Carbon Monoxide Story Right,” March 3.]

The Buck Stops With You on CO

I am writing about John R. Hall’s editorial on CO. It was a great article. I can understand his frustration. Just before Hall bangs his head on his office wall, maybe someone will come to his rescue with the answers the industry needs.

It reminds me of my Air Force flying days. As a flyboy whose responsibility it was to know the safety of flying, it would take an accident to get the attention of those who could affect change.

Sure I could ground the aircraft, but it could be flying before the “Red X” ink was dry.

CO is not a glamorous subject to the media. But we must affect change at the contractor level. The buck stops there and contractors are ultimately responsible. It seems that if they cannot see the dollar sign, they do not want to get involved.

I was a member of one of the best ACCA Mix Groups for nine years. It is still very effective today, but not once that I remember did the CO subject come up. Maybe it would have if a contractor member had a special CO detector to market!

I think as I look back and am reminded by this article, we did not understand all the problems with CO. Inspections passed one day would not pass the next day for various reasons. No one was an authority - most everyone was reluctant to give his or her blessing on an install/inspection, even the code enforcers or the fire departments.

Only persons like Hall can keep this deadly subject on the forefront. However, contractors who have made a name for themselves as the local expert can also have a tremendous impact on the public through the media - and save lives.

Keep up the excellent work.

Tom Templeton
Coaching for Contractors
Cookeville, Tenn.

Make Yourself Known to the Media

Our local ACCA [Air Conditioning Contractors of America] had invited the leading newscasters, weathermen, and even sportscasters to speak to our association. Most did. So they knew us, and of us. This worked well for the industry. Isn’t it time that all ACCA chapters and ACCA members come out of their closets and get the news media to become a part of their groups by inviting them to speak? Why not give them a plaque with a thermostat on it to hang on their office wall? Then when such things as Hall describes come to the news media, whom will they contact? Of course, those with whom they are familiar. And one time just won’t do it. Keep them coming back, real often. How long will we be the best-kept secret in America? Just as long as we want to be - or don’t want to be.

Aaron York Sr.
Aaron York’s Quality A/C
Indianapolis, Ind.

Send correspondence via e-mail to letters@achrnews.com.

Publication date:04/07/2008