I have been thinking about those people who make a real difference in our lives. The people who go to work to make sure the rest of us can practice shelter-in-place. Professionals who expose themselves to whatever the world throws at them and just keep on, keeping on!

One of my favorite people of all time was the late Father Ted Hesburgh, former president of Notre Dame. He walked with Martin Luther King, he met with Presidents, he was a champion on human rights. When asked if he would be missed when he died, he once told my wife: “The janitor here at Notre Dame will be missed before I am. Everyone will notice if the trash isn’t picked up much faster than if I am not on campus.” The same can be said for HVAC professionals.

“Be careful how you treat people, people that work for you and people that use your product today, because memories are long and crisis are short.” Joe Galvin

As I look around this great country and see who is essential and needed to keep this country moving, I find it very eye opening. It’s not who you might think. In our industry, it’s the person selling parts; the person pulling the part; the person delivering parts and the person installing those parts. The same people who get up every day and fix what we break. How humbling.

While the rest of us practice social distancing from the dreaded Covid-19 virus, these professionals go to work. They come to our homes to make sure the AC works; they go to the stores to fix the refrigeration, so we have refrigerated food; they climb on roofs to keep us comfortable in our hotel rooms. In doing this, there is even a possibility they might be exposed to a virus that scares the rest of the world to death! Why do they do this? They are needed. They are essential.

As this pandemic unfolds, we see heroes every day from the media. They are doctors, nurses, police, fire, EMS and other visible essential personnel. I believe there are others, behind the scenes who are also deserving. Essential hero is defined as: Absolutely necessary – extremely important, a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievement or noble qualities.

I can think of no better definition for the HVAC people on the front lines. Thank you for your service.