- The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors-National Association (PHCC) reports that staff member Norma Khan was a confirmed passenger on the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77. Khan was traveling to PHCC's annual convention scheduled for Sept. 12-16 in Reno, NV.
The plane, after taking off at 8:10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, from Dulles Airport outside Washington, DC, crashed into the Pentagon after hijackers redirected the Los Angeles-bound flight back to Washington.
Khan was PHCC's manager of member services. She also coordinated the association's database operations and was the staff liaison for the Union-Affiliated Contractors. She had been a PHCC employee since November 2000.
The 45-year-old Khan was a resident of Reston, VA, with her 13-year-old son Imran.
The PHCC has established a scholarship fund for Imran Khan, and contributions can be sent to PHCC Educational Foundation, 180 S. Washington St., Falls Church, VA 22046. Please make any checks out to the PHCC Educational Foundation Scholarship Fund, with a notation that the donation is for the Imran Khan Fund.
- The PHCC also noted the contribution of its members to lend support to the centers of crisis in the week after the terrorist attack on the U.S. Stewart O'Brien of the Plumbing Foundation-City of New York reported that the city's trade union locals coordinated efforts to send volunteers to the World Trade Center site and purchased equipment for clean-up efforts. The most-needed items were goggles, gloves, boots and respirators. Because the site was overloaded with people offering to help, the city asked that the volunteers return home. However, O'Brien said that volunteers were ready to help when needed, and materials will be purchased and provided as needed.
Also, George Breslaw & Sons, Inc. of New York City donated torch equipment, hard hats, safety goggles and a truckload of ice to the World Trade Center clean-up efforts. Ten company plumbers volunteered to help with the clean-up, and one of them was involved Sept. 13 in pulling two deceased firemen from the rubble.
- In a related action, the PHCC board of directors and executive committee decided to proceed with its Sept. 12-16 annual business meeting and convention events at the Reno Hilton in Reno, NV, as planned. During the business meeting, Steve Carder of Carder Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Co., Sand Springs, OK, was elected national vice president. Educational seminars and other convention events were offered on an abbreviated basis. Approximately 200 people participated in the convention activities.
- According to Barbara Higgens, executive director of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute, PMI decided to postpone its annual Fall meeting that was to be held Sept. 23-26 in Washington, DC. The institute plans to reschedule the meeting for some time in November in the Chicago area. Barbara Olsen, wife of the solicitor general and passenger on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, was reportedly a tentative speaker for PMI's meeting.
- Following the events of Sept. 11, IAPMO announced that it decided to cancel its 2001 Annual Business Conference in Portland, OR, due to its concern about the safety of members, staff, and other attendees.
- The American Society of Sanitary Engineers (ASSE) announced that the ASSE Executive Committee unanimously voted to cancel the scheduled Annual Meeting in Portland, OR, September 15-20, 2001. The Society said it would be rescheduling the Board of Directors, Product Standards Committee and Seal Control Board meeting for later in the Fall.
- The BOCA Board of Directors announced that its expo and conference scheduled for Sept. 16-17 in Cincinnati would proceed, despite the fact that ICBO decided to withdraw.
- The Associated General Contractors of America's (AGC) Education & Research Foundation established a "Terrorist Victims Fund" to assist the children of those killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. The purpose of the fund was to help offset educational expenses incurred by the loss of income from a family member who perished in the September 11 tragedies. Disbursements of the fund gave preference to children of craft and management employees of construction firms.
In addition to the Terrorist Victims Fund, AGC members were on site in both locations (the World Trade Center and the Pentagon) assisting in search and recovery and clean up operations. AGC chapters in New Jersey and New York also assisted in a variety of ways, including donating equipment, supplies and manpower.
Donations to the Terrorist Victims Fund can be made directly to the AGC Education & Research Foundation (501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization), Attn: Terrorist Victims Fund, 333 John Carlyle Street, Suite 200, Alexandria, VA 22314, or call Shannon Knutti at (703) 837-5432.
