The old adage that the plumber protects the health of the nation needs to be rephrased, says Frederick Schilling, president of Pipeline Plumbing & Backflow Service in Pompano Beach, Florida. The reality is that the plumber protects the health of the world.
In recognition of World Plumbing Day on March 11, it’s food for thought that comes from a man with a unique perspective.
Like most plumbers, Schilling has always been well aware of the importance of his line of work, but it wasn’t until he began drifting into early retirement a few years back that he encountered a whole new level of appreciation for its potential impact.
When he mentioned an interest in finding an avenue that would allow him to give back for all the good the industry has provided him over the years, a fellow member of the World Plumbing Council suggested calling the newly formed Plumbers Without Borders.
Schilling spoke with Domenico DiGregorio, founder and president of the organization that formed when a couple individuals in Seattle looked at the news clips following the devastating earthquake in Haiti and decided what the country really needed was some good, skilled plumbers to help out in the aftermath.
“I chatted with him plumber to plumber and we shared a common interest in our belief that the skills that we have as lifelong plumbers can really make a difference in the health and welfare of people all over the world,” Schilling says.
Just days later he boarded a plane, flew to Haiti and experienced one of the great eye-openers of his entire life. He soon realized that out of a population of 10 million people, very few had access to the type of clean, safe water that is often taken for granted in developed nations.
“The skill and the training that I had been receiving for 40-plus years had prepared me to put the plumbing in the new World Trade Center but surprisingly did not prepare me for being a plumber in a country that has no plumbing,” he says. “We had to kind of reinvent ourselves, and we have fortunately been able to do that.”
American Standard jumped on board as the group's first corporate sponsor, and since that time, the organization has grown, evolved and fostered relationships with the funding partners needed to help supply clean water and proper sanitation to countries such as Haiti. In addition, Plumbers Without Borders has developed a global database that connects volunteer plumbing professionals with organizations working in impoverished areas both at home and abroad.
Currently the co-chair and vice president of Plumbers Without Borders, Schilling’s journey has allowed him to view World Plumbing Day as not only a celebration of the plumbers who help provide a healthy environment for the citizens of the world but also as a call to action for these very same professionals.
Looking to find a way to acknowledge the occasion and get involved in your own way? The WPC has compiled a list of ideas and suggested activities that can be undertaken to help promote, honor and enjoy World Plumbing Day. For more information, visit www.worldplumbingday.org.
