When Letter Carrier Russell Markle was delivering mail recently in Boise, ID, and spotted smoke coming from a house, he wanted to be sure of two things: that firefighters were on the way, and that the recently widowed customer who lived there alone was safe.
After he called 911, Markle went to the woman’s door to see if she was home. He also alerted her family members who lived nearby to try to reach her by phone as well.
A neighbor later contacted the Postal Service to praise Markle: “His swift action saved this house and possibly others from burning down. … USPS should be very proud of this employee.”
Customer Services Supervisor Ronald Chavez said he has “worked with Russ for some time now, and he has always been an outstanding employee.”
Chavez continued: “This is the second instance in the past couple of months where he has helped a customer on his route like this, and it makes me proud to work side by side with him.”