They are known as “New York’s Strongest,” but now two sanitation workers can be called simply “heroes.”
Monday, July 20 was a “normal day on the job” for Department of Sanitation (DOS) employees Eric Guanco and David Vargas. It was about 12:15 p.m., and they were collecting recyclables at 142nd Street and 107th Avenue, according to Guanco, when they “heard a lady scream fire.”
So the pair stopped what they were doing and ran into the two-story home from whence the noise was coming.
“As we were entering the home there was a gentleman with a fire extinguisher,” explained Guanco. “He handed it over to my partner, and we climbed the stairs and saw the gas stove was on fire.”
They quickly extinguished the flames, turned on the exhaust fan, and helped Royce Tompkins to safety.
“I was just hoping that if anyone else was up there they would come out safely,” he said.
The Fire Department showed up within minutes, and Guanco and Vargas informed them of what had transpired.
The two then went about the rest of their route, only notifying a foreman and a supervisor of their heroic act.
“I told my wife about it [later], and she was very happy, kind of proud of me,” said a very modest Guanco.
“They were beautiful,” Tompkins told The Courier. “We thought the stove would explode but they came in, regardless of their safety.”
She continued, “It’s something you don’t see; people helping people. I’ve been in this house for 58 years and I really appreciate what they’ve done.”
The next day, the family replaced their damaged stove.
According to a DOS spokesperson, Guanco and Vargas’ act of heroism will now be forwarded to the Department’s Merit Awards Committee for consideration.
Although Vargas said it felt good to be recognized for his efforts, he conceded, “It’s a little weird. I didn’t feel like I did anything special.”
“Sometimes it just happens, it’s nothing we think about. I just hope that someone would do the same for us if need be,” echoed Guanco.
– With additional reporting by Alice Lok
