I often talk about how important service is to me, and how proud I am to work for the people of Philadelphia. A big part of that is because of all the City employees who spend every day serving our city, and working to make it a more efficient and effective place to live.

There are countless employees who go above and beyond their job description to help their fellow citizens. One story Commissioner Perri just told me, about an employee at L&I, I wanted to share.

Have you ever thought about the one thing you’d want to save in the tragic event of a fire?

For one person, it was a beloved teddy bear that they have had since birth.

A Philadelphian recently wrote a thank you letter to an L&I inspector after suffering from a devastating home fire. In the letter, she expressed gratitude to the inspector for returning a few cherished possessions the inspector could safely reach–including that beloved teddy bear!

“I cannot express to you how grateful I am. I am so happy to have some of my most cherished possessions back. Thank you, thank you a million times,” she wrote.

That’s the kind of service I’m so proud to be a part of.

Do you have a story of a Philadelphia City Employee who helped you? Share it with me! You can tweet or email me any time.