Bismarck Heating and Air service manager’s quick thinking helps customer

A Bismarck woman is recovering from a dog bite thanks to the help of the man who was servicing her air conditioner.

Chris Kambeitz is the service manager at Bismarck Heating and Air. He's worked at the family run company for about eight years. A couple weeks ago, Kambeitz says he was out on a call that turned into something he'll never forget.

Chris Kambeitz is busy. With the heat hitting hard last week, some days he's putting in close to 17 hours making sure everyone's air conditioning is working. But it was a call about two weeks ago that was different than anything he's experienced.

“I've never had to drive a customer to the ER,” Kambeitz said.

But that changed when Kambietz says the customer, an elderly Bismarck woman, was bit by a neighbor's dog while he was working on her A/C unit.

“It just latched onto her pinky and her ring finger on her left hand,” he said.

Kambeitz says he was going to get a first aid kit, but seeing the extent of the injuries, he wrapped her hand with his shirt and helped carry her to his van where he drove her to the hospital.

“She kept saying oh I'm fading in and out here and I was like just stay calm, just keep it together I know it hurts, I'm sure it hurts,” Kambeitz said.

Kambietz's dad Mike, who owns the business, shared the post to Facebook, thanking his son for his quick thinking. Chris says he returned to the home and locked it up after leaving the ER, and is hoping to get back to the woman's home soon to finish the work.

“At that point you're not really a heating and air service tech it's just another human being and this human being's hurt, you better take care of them,” he said.

And Kambeitz says he hopes it's the last time he ever has to take a customer to the ER.

The woman did not want to be identified. According to Kambeitz, she is continuing to recover from the bite.