Leary helps rebuild New Orleans firehouses

NEW ORLEANS , Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Actor and comedian Denis Leary is using his charitable foundation to help New Orleans rebuild firehouses it lost in Hurricane Katrina.

Although Katrina demolished or damaged 22 of New Orleans' 33 fire houses more than two years ago, the city hasn't rebuilt any, leaving many firefighters to repair their stations alongside volunteer carpenters, CNN reported.

"I gave up on ever hoping that politicians in this country -- local, state or federal -- would step in to help these guys," said Leary, who plays a firefighter on the TV drama "Rescue Me."

To help meet a need Leary said the government has thus far failed to, he is using his foundation to bring together volunteers from a New York carpenter's union and the New Orleans Fire Department to rebuild the stations.

So far, they have rebuilt five firehouses and are expected to complete two other stations in a couple of months.

"We have The Edge, you know, an Irish musician coming over here to help solve the problems in New Orleans," Leary told CNN. "But we can't get FEMA or our own president to respond."