Republic Services employee Alberto Gutierrez made an unexpected pick up on his July 22 shift.
A routine collection route turned into an unexpected rescue for two Republic Services drivers in North Texas last month.
Drivers Alberto Gutierrez and Jose Garcia were working their route in Rowlett in August when they noticed a young child running toward their truck and calling for help.
Garcia stopped the vehicle while Gutierrez went to check on the child, who appeared frightened and had become separated from his family.
Gutierrez, who has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, stayed with the child and began knocking on doors in the surrounding neighborhood in an effort to locate his family. After several attempts, he found the child’s home and reunited him with his parent.
Republic Services provides recycling and waste collection and other environmental services to communities across the country, including Plano. The company operates a recycling facility in Plano and provides residential recycling collection services for the city.
The company said Gutierrez’s response also reflected the role safety plays in collection work, particularly as drivers regularly operate large vehicles in residential neighborhoods where pedestrians and children may be nearby.