Fast-Acting Comcast Technician Puts out Fire on Busy Interstate 5 Corridor

While our Comcast technicians are at homes and businesses installing equipment and addressing service issues, they go above and beyond in the field, unbeknownst to the customers and neighbors they serve each day.

Our technicians complete hundreds of thousands of customer appointments each year, which means a lot of time in our local communities across Washington. This also means they become the eyes and ears of each city they operate in, and are put in positions to help when they see emergency situations.

For technician Alex Sarman, on June 5th at 9:30 am, he did just that. While driving down the freeway on a busy and popular area of the interstate five freeway, he noticed some smoke coming from the brush on the side of the road ahead. Alex saw many drivers going by, but decided to stop and check it out. With the dry weather, he knew even the smallest of flames could create something disastrous.

After pulling to the side of the busy highway as other drivers passed by, he called 9-1-1 to report the flames and then grabbed his Comcast-issued fire extinguisher and walked towards the smoke. What Alex found was a roadside fire the size of a store-bought kiddy pool.

Springing into action he pulled the pin on his extinguisher and dowsed the flames. “Safety is something we talk about as technicians and we are trained to help where we can in the field in these situations,” Alex noted. “We have the knowledge and tools to help.”

Alex’s actions helped put out a problem before it got too big. He reported the event, checked for residual flames and then headed back to his vehicle. After checking to make sure the blaze was definitely out, Alex calmly returned to his vehicle and reported the use of his fire extinguisher and called his supervisor to let him know what happened.

What he didn’t know is that someone had reported his good deed as well. While Alex was putting out the fire, a bystander witnessed his heroic actions and called the ‘How’s My Driving’ sticker on his Comcast vehicle to report what he did to his leaders. Word internally spread quickly of Alex’s quick-thinking and his ability to act fast, and make a swift decision that impacted the safety of cars, nearby road workers, and the neighborhood right off of the nearby i-5 exit.

He was quick to downplay the praise. As he describes it “my job is pretty straightforward, I drive a lot and I see a lot of stuff, every now and then you’ve got to act on something and help in the community.” “Being responsible for the community we live and work in is something us as Comcasters care about. If I was in a car accident or in trouble, I’d want someone to help. We care about our neighbors and we are here to help.”

As Alex’s supervisor Michael McTernan puts it, “technicians are there for you, we’re willing to go above and beyond and help our community. It’s important to us that people know we  are there to help you as a neighbor and a person that cares about leaving things better than what we found it.” In this instance, Alex’s quick work helped by eliminating a problem before it became a major disaster. “You never know what you are going to get on a job but it’s important to always be prepared and go above and beyond when you have to,” he noted.

Whether it’s installing services, running a new cable line to your home or helping with an in-home issue, our technicians are there to lend a helping hand. And when it comes to taking positive actions to help the community, we’ve got you covered there too.


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