Two Rumpke workers help a Bourbon Co. man from house fire

MILLERSBURG, Ky. (WKYT) -Most all of us routinely roll our garbage out to the curb for weekly pickup, but do you know the drivers who service your street?

One Bourbon County family is thankful for the two men on their route and a recent random act of kindness they will forever be thankful for.

Every Thursday just like clockwork a Rumpke trash truck makes its weekly trek through the streets of Millersburg, Ky. Jerry Curtis is a veteran driver, his counterpart Kyle Wilson is the new guy on the truck.

Week after week there isn’t a lot of excitement, except for one Thursday in early August. “I said Sam, I think there is a fire and then I saw a little poof and I said Sam it’s fire and it’s too close to Tim,” said Melanie Chanslor.

Just a few houses down, Melanie Chanslor’s brother Tim’s house was on fire.

“We had just finished the route and stopped and got something to eat,” said Jerry Curtis. That’s when someone passing by alerted the Rumpke workers to a home and someone needing help.

The two Rumpke employees jumped into action.

“We heard the guy screaming, he was leaned up against the door. He was needing help; we went in, and he said he couldn’t breathe. We got him by the shoulders and carried him out,” said Kyle Wilson.

Melanie and her husband Sam are a family of great faith, so they call what happened a miracle.

“There is two or three things that had to happen. First off, the fire was on a Thurs. which is the only day these guys are in town and secondly, they were willing to stop and go into a burning building to help somebody,” said Sam Chanslor.

When we met for this story, Tim was still in the hospital recovering from the fire.

By chance he called and for the first time he talked to his now heroes via phone.

“Fellas, another minute or two and there probably wouldn’t be any helping me. You showed up right when you needed to,” said Tim.

“You are welcome, hope you get back home soon,” said Curtis.

“Hope you get better,” said Wilson.

It is a job that may not get a lot of attention, but for these two drivers it’s about more than collecting the trash.

“All of the people I service are my neighbors, that’s how I look at them and I would do anything for any other neighbor,” said Curtis.

It’s about being in the right place at the right time that can sometimes make all the difference for someone along their route.

“They are our heroes,” said Melanie Chanslor.

Since we shot this story Tim has since been released and is back home recovering with his family.

If you have a good story that shows the good deeds and random acts of kindness people are doing in your community email us at kindness@wkyt.com

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