Comcast Technician Andrew McFarlain Saves a Burning Truck in Spokane
While driving north along Highway 2, Comcast Senior Residential Technician Andrew McFarlain witnessed a smoking pickup truck on the side of the road. The driver was frantically throwing handfuls of dirt beneath the truck, attempting to extinguish a growing blaze.
“Whenever I see something like that, I try to figure out how I can help,” Andrew explained. A combination of military service and fire safety education through Comcast render him well-prepared for responding to emergencies; still, this situation was a first for Andrew.
“I immediately snapped into the mode of, ‘I’ve got to help this guy,’” he explained.
Andrew, who was driving a Comcast truck at the time, pulled over and assessed the situation, recognizing the urgent need for a fire extinguisher. With the permission of the driver, he crawled underneath the burning pickup to spray the fire near the oil pan, which quickly got the blaze under control. Fire fighters promptly confirmed the safety of the vehicle and identified the cause of the fire from a leaking oil pan dripping onto the catalytic converter’s heat shielding and insulation. All in all, Andrew’s quick intervention prevented a catastrophic car fire.
Andrew’s Comcast Technical Supervisor, Levi Isaacs, attests that this act of heroism is indicative of Andrew’s continuous willingness to help others.
“It doesn’t surprise me that Andrew jumped right into action to help,” he praised. “He is usually the one of the first on the team to always help for whatever is needed.”
Despite his success, Andrew has an admirable sense of humility. For him, helping another was a no-brainer.
“I’m not a stranger to jumping to lend a helping hand,” he explained. “It’s just what I do.”
