Around the nation, plumbers have assisted homeowners during critical times.
Homeowners received a good dose of “good Samaritan” experiences this year as plumbers found their way to the rescue in the midst of plumbing crises.
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The City of Cocoa, Fla. will make it easier to obtain a permit for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC
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Bexar County in Texas launches plumbing repair program to help homeowners fix broken pipes
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73-year-old plumber from Ohio drives roughly 1,200 miles to help the recovery effort in Texas; New Jersey plumber drives to Texas to help after the storm
The City of Cocoa, Fla. will make it easier to obtain a permit for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC
In an effort to continue to provide a high level of service to the Cocoa community, the City of Cocoa is now offering online permitting for things such as window replacements, plumbing, and electrical work, fences, HVAC replacement, sheds, and more.
Through a new online portal, residents and business owners are able to apply for a permit, pay fees, view policies, view submittal requirements, and schedule inspections.
The new system which went live on March 1, 2021, allows City of Cocoa residents to submit permit requests from the comfort of their own home and track the permit through the approval process.
To see the full list of permits that will be provied, click here.
Bexar County in Texas launches plumbing repair program to help homeowners fix broken pipes
Property owners in Bexar County who live outside the San Antonio city limits may apply for help if they need a plumber to help fix water pipes that burst as a result of last month’s devastating winter storm.
Bexar County Commissioners said Friday they are launching the second phase of a program to help homeowners with plumbing repair costs.
Homeowners who qualify can get up to $1,500 worth of plumbing repairs through the county initiative. Additionally, for homeowners who already paid for repairs, but are seeing reimbursement, may also apply for help.
A tool on the county’s website will help you determine if you live in the areas where assistance is being offered. It will also help homeowners through the application process and will dispatch a plumber to help residents get water turned on at their home.
Detailed information and access to the online filing process is available by clicking here. Individuals who do not have access to the internet or have questions should call (210) 631-5000 for the reimbursement program or (210) 631-6000 for the “I need a plumber” program.
Read the full article here.
73-year-old plumber from Ohio drives roughly 1,200 miles to help the recovery effort in Texas; New Jersey plumber drives to Texas to help after the storm
Plumbers descended on Texas volunteering to help the state as it struggled to recover from a debilitating winter storm that left huge swaths with serious and long-term plumbing damage.
Texas became the center of an electricity and plumbi/ng crisis when a record-shattering winter storm crossed the Southern and Central U.S in February. The state’s primary electric grid was unable to keep up with the huge demand as Texans tried to heat their homes. To make matters worse, nonwinterized homes and utilities cracked under the freezing temperatures. Burst pipes and service disruptions due to the cold affected 14.4 million Texans at one point.
The need this time was clear. In conversations with Texas-based plumbing companies, George Greene IV, president and CEO of Water Mission, said that he’s hearing plumbers in the state have work orders that they estimate will taken them six months to complete.
Thankfully, we have good Samaritans such as Paul Mitchell and Andrew Mitchell (unrelated) to lend a helping plumbing hand!
Paul Mitchell, 73, a plumber from Cedarville, Ohio, drove roughly 1,200 miles to help the recovery effort in Austin.
Paul had never been to the city before and is technically retired, but made the two-and-a-half day journey with a trailer containing $5,000 worth of supplies donated by his local Ohio community.
He went to a trailer park in Austin, working alongside volunteer plumbers from Kansas, California, New York and Georgia to help restore water to the residents there.
While Paul had “no idea” what he would be doing, he was ready to help where needed. As a result, Paul volunteered through Water Mission and Plumbers Without Borders, two groups hoping to make an impact with the Texas recovery efforts.
When Paul and the other volunteers saw how overwhelmed the local plumbers were after the storm left a trail of busted pipes in its wake, it was evident that they needed to do what they could to get as many plumbers as possible to Texas to help.
The city of Austin is working with volunteers to help coordinate and provide lodging and the groups are providing travel and repair expenses, while the plumbers continue to volunteer their time.
Read the full article here.
Andrew Mitchell drove from New Jersey to Texas to help residents who were in need after Winter Storm Uri hit the state.
Like Paul, Andrew Mitchell of Mitchell’s Plumbing & Heating and his wife, Kisha Pinnock, packed $2,000 worth of materials and drove nearly two days from their home in New Jersey to Texas, to help in the efforts. For the trip, the two also brought along their 2-year-old son, Blake, and Mitchell’s apprentice and brother-in-law, Isaiah Pinnock.
Once in Texas, Pinnock’s sister helped connect them with residents who were in need of service. Kisha said there has been non-stop work for the family since their arrival.
One woman, 71-year-old Barbara Benson, told NJ.com she was finally able to get working water after getting in contact with Mitchell. Before he arrived, Benson was told it could take weeks for a local plumber to make it out to see her, and it could cost as much as $2,000 just to diagnose what was wrong.
As far as the family is concerned, they will remain there a while longer to help as many people as they can.
Read full article here.
Getting more plumbers in to help repair what’s been damaged
The big freeze underscores that there aren’t enough plumbers. While different apprenticeship programs have experienced a decrease in student enrollment in plumbing development programs in the last 4 to 5 years, there’s an evident need for plumbers due to emergency situations such as the Texas storm.
As new circumstances arise for plumbers, we don’t doubt the plumbing industry will continue to witness changes and see an increase in those same appreticeship programs.
Be sure to check out our step-by-step guide to become a successful plumbing apprenticeship!
RELATED ARTICLE: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO LAND A SUCCESSFUL PLUMBING APPRENTICESHIP
