Tales from the Nanny State...MA regs require heat to be on yesterday, not A/C

[Manedwolf]

Since Deval Patrick is like a mini-me Obama, this is what you can look forward to in efficiency! This was in Worcester, MA
It was 100 out yesterday.

Jun 11, 2008

Common sense should KO govt. rule

Clive McFarlane
cmcfarlane@telegram.com

An ambulance was pulling out as I pulled into the parking lot of the Seabury Heights Apartments yesterday. It isnt an infrequent sight at a housing complex for the elderly, but on a day like this when the temperature reached 94 degrees it tends to put a little edge on things.

The faint breeze that idled by as I exited the car was as soothing as a blast from an exhaust pipe. Still, it was welcome relief for the half dozen or so tenants sitting outside on benches or in their wheelchairs.

Inside one apartment building, on the first floor near the elevators, I ran into John M. Ford, a Fire Department captain and director of the citys Emergency Management Team. Other city officials one with the Board of Health and another from the Code Department  were touring the building.


They were there because the residents had called to complain that management was refusing to turn on the air conditioning, despite the high temperatures.

Its the perfect storm, Mr. Ford said.

I didnt ask him to explain. I figured he was talking about the combination of the heat, the frailties of the elderly and the inflexibility of state regulations that the heating system in housing for the elderly must remain operational until June 15.

It is not a switch-on-and-off system, Mr. Ford said.

You just cant turn a lever and go from hot to cold. You have to shut down the heating system before you can turn on the air conditioning. There are some code requirements.

Tenants, however, were appealing to common sense.

Look at my feet, implored Rita Beauragard, pointing toward what looked like two elongated water balloons in slippers. Look how swollen they are.

Mr. Ford nodded sympathetically.

With no breeze to move the air inside the building, it settled on a person, beading into sweat drops with the slightest of movement.

Other tenants took turns buzzing around the visiting officials, glad for the attention but unhappy about what they were hearing from them.

I called the Board of Health. They referred me to HUD, said Colleen Shannon, president of the resident council.

I call HUD and they referred me to the state. I contacted Jim McGoverns office and I sent a letter to Senator Kennedys office, and this evening, I am going to talk about it on the Jordan Levy Show. 

While personal air-conditioning units are banned, at least one tenant, judging from a unit extending from a window, was defying the ban.

Kathy Smith, who relies on a wheelchair and is accompanied by a NEADS dog, Lucy, fights the heat by driving to Med City to cool off and give her (the dog) some relief.

Last year, the heat system was shut down before June 15 and a couple of tenants complained because temperatures in the building fell.

Jean Bourgeois believes that last years experience influenced managements decision to hold out until the deadline this year.

Can you believe that? the 83-year-old tenant asked.

We complained and they tape the law to the wall, saying that according to the Board of Health, the heat must stay on until June 15.

Well, the law doesnt stop them from putting on the air, she said, noting that she has a heart and lung condition and is handicapped.

This is a major heat wave. A lot of elderly and handicapped people live here.

It is not officially a heat wave in Worcester, but I didnt argue that point with her.

Management was not unmoved by the tenants plight. Four industrial size fans, two in each of the common areas of the two-building, 300-room complex waged a gallant fight.

The common areas also were stocked with gallons of ice tea.

Mr. Ford and the other city officials said the tenants were not in grave danger, and they will continue to monitor the condition of the apartment complex in the coming days.

Still, the officials seemed uncomfortable with the situation, and for good reason.

It is not an easy or an admirable thing to rationalize away common sense.

http://www.telegram.com/article/20080611/COLUMN44/806110714/1008/NEWSREWIND

[Scout26]

All your thermostats are belong to us.

[Manedwolf]

It's MA...what do you expect? 

Picture your healthcare being run that way when private insurance is no longer permitted.

[BlueStarLizzard]

i don't get it. it said that last year they turned on the A/C before the date, why didn't they just do it this year? i would think once all the tenants want the A/C, they should have it? it says right in the article that the law doesn't stop them.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

the law requires heat to be on/available till the 15th  in buildings you just can't go from heat to ac that easy.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i'm not the right guy to do details there are some building engineers on here much better qualified  but the buildings i worked in there was at least a 24 hour period for flipping the system from heat to cool

[mtnbkr]

Also, IIRC, there are other, more physical tasks associated with changing from one to the other.  I *think* if going from AC to heat for the Winter you have to drain some sort of tank of water.  I'm going to assume to go back to AC you have to fill said tank.  This was the case for large systems used at department stores and similar buildings.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

280Plus could probably tell us exactly what had to be done...

Chris

[Tallpine]

We have a fire in the woodstove today 

Cold, windy, and raining here.

[BlueStarLizzard]

yeah, but in the middle of a major heat wave on the east coast they are going to force a bunch of elderly folk, all of whom are begging for the damn A/C to be turned on, to suffer in the heat untill june 15?

in VA this weekend the heat wavered between 95 to 99 and the heat index stuck around 105 or higher. the entire east coast was effected by this. and i can tell you that, i, a 24 year old young women in decent health, had issues with dehydration and overheating. on saterday, after helping my boss out at her farm, i ended up laying on my mothers floor with two larger icepacks laying on my back.

i don't care if it is a law for heat to be avalible. if they want A/C, they get A/C. and if they turn out to need the Heat,  the damn managment can get off their butts and TURN it back on!

and, yes, this sort of thing does tick me off.

[Scout26]

But see, if they just got rid of all those uselesss eaters.........

[MicroBalrog]

This sounds like something from my Soviet childhood.

[LadySmith]

280Plus could probably tell us exactly what had to be done...

Chris

He probably could, but sadly 280Plus is using his "freedom to dis-associate". 

[mtnbkr]

Huh?  What happened?  Did I miss something?

Chris

[Scout26]

280Plus could probably tell us exactly what had to be done...

Chris

He probably could, but sadly 280Plus is using his "freedom to dis-associate". 

What ?!?!?!?!?!?

[Balog]

I think he got all bent outta shape because of the photographer punished for refusing to shoot a gay "wedding" thread.