Colorado Springs, CO, Letter Carrier William Searuggs was recently hailed as a hero for coming to the aid of a customer who fell and hit his head.
Searuggs was delivering mail to a home when he spotted blood near the front door. “As I proceeded to put mail in the box, that’s when I heard (someone) scream, ‘Help, help. Come in, come in,’” Searuggs told the local CBS TV station.
Searuggs, who has been delivering mail for about 15 years, entered the house and found 86-year-old Max Patterson lying on the floor. Patterson had fallen outside, hit his head, and crawled back inside.
Searuggs helped Patterson get into a chair, used a kitchen towel to apply pressure to the wound, and called 911. He stayed with Patterson until emergency personnel arrived.
Patterson’s family said they expect him to recover. Neighbors called Searuggs a hero — a label he resists.
“Not so much a hero, just me getting him the help he needed,” Searuggs said.
Searuggs is one of many employees who have been recognized through the Postmaster General Heroes Program.
The program, established in 2003, is based upon a simple idea: Postal Service™ employees know their customers’ habits and are often the first to notify emergency personnel when they notice something wrong.
Employees must be nominated for the PMG Hero Award. Nominations are reviewed by Corporate Communications for accuracy and sent for approval to the Office of the Inspector General and the Inspection Service. Following approval, nominees receive a “thank you” letter from Postmaster General Megan Brennan and are featured in the Postal Service’s daily publication, Link.
To nominate an employee, complete PS Form 400, Corporate Communications PMG Hero Nomination. To download or print the form, go to Blue and select Essential Links, then choose Forms. Email completed forms to PMG_HeroNominations@usps.gov.
The National Association of Letter Carriers also pays tribute to select members through its Heroes of the Year Awards, which have been presented annually since 1974.
To read more heroic stories featuring USPS employees, click on the Heroes tab of the Link archives at http://liteblue.usps.gov/news/link/archive.htm.
— Speechwriting and Publications,
Corporate Communications, 6-11-15
