Public safety was a priority for many heroes in 2017 who did the right thing when faced with crime and calamities.
Letter carriers Jason Moss of Tampa, FL, and Russell Markle of Boise, ID, and Rural Carrier Associate Jeffrey Jones of McKinney, TX, were among Postal Service employees who looked out for vulnerable customers during house fires.
Letter Carrier Matthew Lamb saved the lives of a grandmother and grandson whose Johnstown, PA, residence was ablaze — earning widespread recognition, including the National Association of Letter Carriers’ top hero of the year award.
City Carrier Assistant Ryan Artman helped prevent an arsonist from destroying a historic landmark in Meadville, PA, while Elizabeth, NJ, Letter Carrier Patrick Daly spotted smoke at a vacationing couple’s longtime home and sprang into action to protect it.
Criminals who targeted postal customers in scams were no match for alert employees such as Edison, NJ, Customer Care Center Supervisor Dinah Daniel; Phillipsburg, KS, Retail Associate Linda Dettmer; and the Campbell, OH, trio of Postmaster John Dickey and retail associates Jeniene Perez and Sabrina Williams.
Other heroes stayed calm and made a difference when crises interrupted their routines.
A Buffalo, NY, girl ran to Letter Carrier Francis Franklin for help when a thief broke into her home.
Letter Carrier Farid Ait Djebara aided a woman who was struck by a stray bullet during a street fight in Oakland, CA.
As a manhunt unfolded in a dramatic Washington, DC, missing-person case, USPS Writer Jonathan Padget led police to a suspect — ultimately charged with first-degree murder — he encountered during a late-night dog walk.
“I certainly have an even greater appreciation now for the life-or-death moments that are part of many PMG Heroes’ stories,” Padget said later.