Newswatch 16’s Jack Culkin caught up with one of the men who wasted no time trying to help.
SCRANTON, Pa. — Another Friday morning meant another day of picking up the recycling along the 700 block of Hampton Street in Scranton’s West side.
“Started as a normal rainy day, just going about our business,” said Charles Dukerich, Department of Public Works employee.
But right around 6:30 a.m. on February 20, Department of Public Works employee Charles Dukerich found himself calling for help after a fire started on the side porch of this home.
“My guys were over there knocking on doors ahead of time, trying to wake the residents or anybody that’s around there in case, you know, something goes on,” he said.
Nearly a week later, at DPW headquarters, Dukerich relived the day.
He says on that morning, without thinking twice, he and two other workers began throwing piles of snow on the flames, even taking the cans they just emptied to use as makeshift snow shovels. “It was just no thought involved. Just you see something going on, you jump to it and, you know, just act without really thinking about it because you don’t want to see anybody’s house burned down, at least I don’t.”
The damage from the fire can be seen from the roadway, but luckily, Dukerich says no one was hurt, and the house was saved.
“We’re out during the morning, and that way people are sleeping, and sometimes we observe things that, you know, I mean, people don’t see. And you know, and that day it paid off absolutely, absolutely,” said Dukerich.
Today, Dukerich and the other men are back to work, ready to keep collecting and always willing to help their city anyway they can.
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