It was a quiet, sweltering summer day in a suburban neighborhood of Miami, Florida when George Phillips, an experienced technician with EcoShield Pest Solutions, was wrapping up a routine service appointment. He had just finished de-webbing a client’s home and walked to his truck to grab his power sprayer when something unexpected happened.

“I went to the truck to get my power sprayer, and a landscaping company was driving past the house I was working on,” George recalled. “Just as I grabbed my tools, a man fell off the golf cart onto the street.”

George immediately noticed the man’s business partner panicking as he rushed to help. Although he had planned to stay out of it, something inside told him to take action.

“Something told me, ‘Go over there and see what’s going on. Take the chance and see what’s going on,’” he said.

That decision changed everything.

As George approached, he quickly realized the man was having a seizure. George, who has epilepsy himself, knew exactly what to do.

“When I walked over and saw the gentleman on the ground, I immediately pictured myself on that ground,” George said. “Last summer I had a seizure… and I woke up under the truck. People were walking their dogs, washing their cars, and no one helped. I lost some hope for humanity that day.”

This time, George became the help he had once needed. He began checking the man’s
awareness, asking him simple questions like his name, favorite color, and what year it was—anything to keep him conscious and alert.

“He said his favorite color was black and I said, ‘Mine too!’” George recounted. “When I asked him the year, he said it was 1995. I thought, okay, well… he’s about 20 years off, but he’s functioning! That was a great sign.”

With the help of a passerby, George kept the man cool, calm, and safe until paramedics arrived. He understood exactly what the man was feeling—nauseous, embarrassed, and overwhelmed.

Looking back, George says the experience taught him an important lesson about empathy and the value of stepping up, even when it feels uncomfortable.

“We live in a world where no one wants to help anybody. They’re all about themselves,” he said. “But if you don’t take that chance to help someone, you’ll never know what could happen. At least I know that I helped that person wake up the next day. I helped him see his family and children again.”

George’s message is simple yet powerful: we’re all human, and sometimes we need to help or be helped. It’s always worth it to take the chance.

At EcoShield, we are proud to have local heroes like George Phillips on our team—individuals who go above and beyond their job descriptions each day. Our technicians are trained to protect homes from pests, but as George’s story shows, their commitment to service extends far beyond the doorstep. George didn’t hesitate to step into a difficult situation, using his own experience and empathy to help someone in need. His actions reflect the kind of integrity, compassion, and courage we strive to cultivate in every member of our team. We believe in building safer, healthier communities, and that starts with people like George—who not only serve our customers, but also make a real difference in the neighborhoods we’re proud to be part of.