Employees’ quick action averts potential serious harm to customer

Because Tom Jendusa, a field collector in our customer services department, was in the right place at the right time on Dec. 4, a customer’s life likely was spared.

Jendusa and Fails

Jendusa was revisiting homes in a Milwaukee residential neighborhood that had been disconnected prior to the start of the winter shut off moratorium to ensure there were no safety issues. As he approached one dwelling, he heard the unmistakable sound of a running generator – inside the house.

He spoke to the occupant about the hazards of running a generator inside a building, but the man balked, noting there was ventilation and that he felt fine. Jendusa knew the customer was in danger, so he called Paula Fails, his team leader, and reported what he had found. Fails and Jendusa quickly agreed that the Milwaukee Fire Department should be contacted. Jendusa did so. The MFD reported the incident to the Milwaukee Police Department and within minutes, officers responded.

The police officers were inside the house for about 5 minutes, trying to convince the man – a relative of the homeowner – to evacuate. While they were inside, the officers began feeling the carbon monoxide effects. The officers successfully removed the man from the building and then were treated at a local hospital for CO poisoning, which can be deadly. The man was taken to a health and human services agency.

The Department of Neighborhood Services in Milwaukee boarded up the unoccupied property to prevent further access.

Carbon monoxide safety information