Community Involvement — Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
The relationships below are how we participate in the Omaha metro beyond billable service calls. Some are formal partnerships with structured commitments. Others are informal — a winter cold-weather call referred to us at no charge, an apprentice placement from a local trade school, a piece of equipment donated to a nonprofit replacement project. Where we list a specific organization, that relationship is current. Where we describe a category of work, the specifics rotate seasonally or annually based on need.
Metropolitan Community College HVAC Program Partnership
Metropolitan Community College operates one of the most established HVAC technician training programs in the Midwest at the Fort Omaha campus near 30th and Fort Streets. The program runs Associate degree, diploma, and certificate tracks covering residential and light-commercial HVAC, refrigeration, and indoor environment systems. Our service lead Ryan Kowalski is a 2010 graduate of the MCC HVAC program; cold-climate technician Mark Tran completed bridge coursework there after relocating from the Twin Cities trade.
Our participation includes:
- Apprentice placement — we hire one or two MCC HVAC graduates per year as apprentice technicians. Apprentices ride on senior technicians’ trucks for the first 90 days of a mentor pairing, then begin running supervised service calls in months 4–12 while completing NATE certification at the Company’s expense.
- Equipment donation — we periodically donate retired-but-serviceable equipment (furnaces, AC condensers, control boards, gas valves, refrigerant gauge sets) to the MCC HVAC lab when manufacturers swap out training equipment under their dealer programs.
- Guest instruction — Bret Jones and Andre Patel periodically guest-teach module sessions on commercial HVAC, refrigerant transition law (R-454B and the EPA AIM Act phasedown), and ACCA Manual J load calculation methodology for advanced-level students.
Associated Builders and Contractors — Heart of America Chapter
Omaha Heating and Air is a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Heart of America Chapter, which covers Nebraska and western Iowa construction trades. ABC chapter membership provides access to safety training programs, apprenticeship resources, and industry advocacy on trade-licensing and code-adoption matters. The chapter’s STEP Safety Management System certification framework guides our internal safety protocols, including job-site safety briefings, PPE requirements, and incident reporting procedures.
Better Business Bureau — Heart of America Chapter
Accredited member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Heart of America Chapter, which covers the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro and surrounding Nebraska and Iowa territory. BBB accreditation requires accurate advertising practices, honest billing, transparent complaint handling, and adherence to the BBB’s published Standards for Trust. We respond to BBB complaints within the chapter’s standard timeline (typically 14 calendar days) regardless of whether the underlying claim is meritorious. Complaint history and current accreditation status are visible on the BBB’s public website.
Open Door Mission — Cold-Weather Assistance Program
Open Door Mission operates a multi-campus shelter and outreach network on the north side of Omaha at the Garland Thompson Men’s Center, the Lydia House Women & Children’s Center, and several outreach locations. The organization serves food, provides shelter beds, and operates emergency cold-weather services during Nebraska winters.
During the November through March cold-weather season, we participate in informal coordination with Open Door Mission and similar local agencies that handle no-heat referrals for low-income households who can’t afford emergency service. Specific participation varies year to year, but the general pattern is: a vulnerable household has a furnace failure during sub-freezing weather, the agency identifies the family, we run the diagnostic call at no charge to the family and at reduced cost (or pro bono, depending on the situation) for the repair. This is not a marketed program and we don’t track or publicize specific case counts; it operates on referral and case-by-case judgment.
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha builds and rehabilitates affordable housing across the metro, with specific focus on north Omaha neighborhoods including Florence, Minne Lusa, and parts of the historic black community in north Omaha. We have provided HVAC installations and consultations on Habitat builds when matched on capacity and scheduling. Habitat builds typically use standard-efficiency residential furnace and AC equipment selected for low operating cost and reliability over premium efficiency, paired with above-code envelope improvements that drive down the heating and cooling load.
Stephen Center
The Stephen Center on south 31st Street operates a network of services for individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, addiction recovery programs, and a veterans-specific facility. We have provided HVAC service to Stephen Center facilities on an as-needed basis at reduced or no cost depending on the project.
Boys Town
Boys Town is the well-known village inside Omaha’s western corporate limits, founded by Father Flanagan in 1917 and now operating Boys Town National Research Hospital, the Boys Town Press, the Boys Town Long-Term Residential Education Program, and outreach affiliates across multiple states. The Boys Town main campus operates substantial mechanical infrastructure across its residential, educational, and administrative buildings. We have provided service work on Boys Town facilities on a project basis through standard commercial channels.
Industry Associations and Certifying Bodies
- ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) — member organization for the trade. ACCA publishes Manual J, S, D, T, and the residential and commercial best-practice documents that guide our installation methodology. Annual ACCA conference attendance for owner and senior technicians.
- RSES (Refrigeration Service Engineers Society) — Class HE member chapter for technical training and continuing education. Bret Jones holds active RSES membership since 2013.
- NATE (North American Technician Excellence) — the third-party certification body whose specialty exams every technician on our team has passed. NATE publishes continuing education materials and renewal-cycle requirements every 2 years.
- NADCA (National Air Duct Cleaners Association) — the standards body for air-duct cleaning. Krystal Bauer holds NADCA Air Systems Cleaning Specialist (ASCS) certification since 2021.
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 16 — Ryan Kowalski began his career as a steamfitter apprentice through Local 16 before transitioning to the contractor side. The Local maintains a strong apprentice training pipeline relevant to our hydronic and steam boiler work.
Local Sponsorships and Sports Affiliations
Annual sponsorship varies by year, with budget allocated across the following types of community presence:
- Youth sports leagues — sponsorship of local youth baseball, soccer, hockey, and basketball teams across the Omaha metro, primarily routed through the Omaha Sports Commission and individual league fundraising channels. Specific team sponsorships rotate annually.
- College World Series Week — the Omaha hosted NCAA Men’s College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the metro every June. We sponsor or co-sponsor community events tied to the CWS week when the budget and scheduling work.
- Creighton University Bluejays and University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks — we hold season-related advertising and community sponsorships with both Omaha-based university athletics programs from year to year.
- Omaha Storm Chasers — the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals plays at Werner Park in Papillion. Community-night sponsorships rotate seasonally.
Charitable Equipment Donations
When we replace a residential furnace, AC, or heat pump and the existing equipment has remaining serviceable life (typically equipment under 12 years old being replaced for efficiency reasons rather than failure), we coordinate donation through partner organizations for placement at low-income housing, community facilities, or nonprofit campuses. Equipment is removed at our standard install rate, cleaned and tested at the shop, and delivered to the receiving organization with installation guidance for their own contractor or maintenance staff. This is not a marketed program and donation volume varies year to year based on what comes through the residential replacement pipeline.
Veteran Support
Our location in west Omaha sits a short drive from Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, home to the 55th Wing and U.S. Strategic Command. Military families stationed at Offutt cycle through Bellevue’s Capehart, Mission Park, and Olde Towne neighborhoods on PCS (permanent change of station) orders that can move them in or out of housing on short notice. We provide expedited dispatch and discounted diagnostic service for active-duty military households experiencing HVAC emergencies during PCS windows, as well as veteran discounts on residential installations across our service area. Specific discount amounts and dispatch priority terms are confirmed at the time of service call rather than published as a marketed offer.
Cold-Weather Welfare Checks
During declared Nebraska cold-weather emergencies (when overnight low temperatures fall below 0°F for sustained periods, as happened during the January 2019 polar vortex), we coordinate informally with the City of Omaha Emergency Management and Douglas County emergency services to conduct welfare check-ins on past customers known to have elderly or medically vulnerable household members. Welfare check-ins consist of a phone call or, when no answer, a brief drive-by visual confirmation. No charge applies. This is not a public program; it operates on the customer relationships we already have.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Omaha Heating and Air offer discounts for active-duty military or veterans?
- Yes. We offer expedited dispatch and discounted diagnostic service for active-duty military households during PCS (permanent change of station) windows at Offutt Air Force Base, and veteran discounts on residential installations across our service area. Specific discount amounts vary by project type and are confirmed at the time of service call. Bring military ID or veteran identification documentation when you call and we will apply the applicable discount.
- How does your participation with Open Door Mission work?
- It operates on referral. Open Door Mission and similar local agencies identify low-income households experiencing furnace failure during sub-freezing weather. The agency contacts our office. We schedule a diagnostic visit at no charge to the family and either complete the repair pro bono or at reduced cost depending on the family’s specific situation. This is not a published program with annual case quotas; it operates on case-by-case need during the November through March cold-weather season.
- Do you hire apprentices from Metropolitan Community College?
- Yes. We hire one or two MCC HVAC graduates per year as apprentice technicians. Apprentices begin with a 90-day mentor pairing on a senior technician’s truck, then begin running supervised service calls in months 4–12. NATE certification is paid for by the Company and is expected within the first twelve months of employment. Resumes and apprenticeship inquiries can go to info@omahaheatingairconditioning.xyz with “Apprenticeship Inquiry” in the subject line.
- Can my nonprofit organization request donated HVAC equipment?
- Sometimes. We coordinate donations of residential furnaces, AC condensers, and heat pumps that come out of replacement installations where the existing equipment has remaining serviceable life. Donation availability depends entirely on the residential replacement pipeline at the time of request, which varies seasonally and year-to-year. Nonprofit organizations interested in being added to the donation routing list can reach out to the office; we don’t publish a formal application process because donations operate on availability rather than scheduled volume.
- Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau Heart of America Chapter?
- Yes, accredited member. Complaint history and current accreditation status are publicly visible on the BBB Heart of America Chapter website. Complaints, if filed, are responded to within the chapter’s standard 14-day timeline. We respond to all complaints regardless of merit; complaints with factual errors are addressed factually rather than dismissed.
Contact Omaha Heating and Air Conditioning
Our Regency Parkway office is in west Omaha at the I-680 and West Dodge Road interchange. For community partnership inquiries, sponsorship requests, apprenticeship applications, equipment donation routing, or any other community-related communication, email or call during business hours. Apprenticeship and partnership inquiries are typically responded to within 5 business days.
- Emergency Line (24/7): (402) 258-6703
- Apprenticeship & Partnership Inquiries: info@omahaheatingairconditioning.xyz
- Address: Lake Regency Building, 450 Regency Pkwy #370, Omaha, NE 68114
- City of Omaha Mechanical Contractor License: #MC-2014-08847
- Iowa Plumbing & Mechanical Systems Board License: #B-027841
- EPA Section 608 Universal: #608U-2014-227841
Office Hours
- Emergency Service: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Office Staff: Monday – Saturday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Closed: Sundays and State/Federal Holidays (emergency line always active)