What:

Patchogue Post Office will host a ceremony on Friday, July 24, honoring John D’Amico, a letter carrier who will be receiving the National Safety Council Million Mile Award. In addition to receiving this award, D’Amico will be celebrating his retirement after 38 years of service in the Patchogue area surrounded by family, co-workers and postal leadership.

The Million Mile Award is given to employees who have driven for 30 accumulated years (most applicable to urban and suburban routes) or 1 million miles (most applicable to rural routes) without a preventable incident. The recipient of this award is Letter Carrier John D’Amico who has served Patchogue for over 38 years and is retiring this month.

Who:

Patchogue Postmaster Valarie Faria
Letter Carrier John D’Amico
Family, colleagues and postal leadership

When:

Friday, July 24, 2026
8 a.m.

Where:

Patchogue Post Office
170 E. Main St., Patchogue, NY 11772

Background:

The Million Mile Award is awarded to letter carriers, rural carriers and truck drivers, who have a safe attitude that entails driving for one million miles or 30 years without a preventable incident. They receive a plaque which bears the Million Mile Club emblem, the NSC logo and an engraved personalized nameplate.

The Postal Service has one of the world’s largest civilian fleets with 262,740 vehicles.

These vehicles link the nation’s 30,972 Post Offices and are driven by more than 341,000 letter carriers and truck drivers on 236,347 delivery routes. The Postal Service logs more than 1.2 billion miles annually delivering to America’s 158 million residences and 12.6 million businesses. More postal facts are available here.

According to the National Safety Council, more than 30,000 Postal Service employees have achieved a distinction most people never approach in their lifetimes – driving more than a million accident-free miles (30 years of safe driving).

“After 38 years of service delivering the mail for Patchogue, I can tell you that experience doesn’t replace safety, it reinforces it. Stay alert, remain conscious and aware of your surroundings, anticipate potential hazards, follow safety practices, and look out for one another. Safety isn’t just a habit, it’s a mindset that protects us and ensures we return home to our families every day, said Patchogue Letter Carrier John D’Amico.

“Safe driving is no accident,” said Postal Service’s New York 2 District Manager John Tortorice. “The safety of our employees is our top priority, and we are proud that our comprehensive safe driver training program is second to none.”

Safe Driving Habits Start with Good Training

Driving for the Postal Service is a privilege. All drivers must demonstrate safe-driving practices throughout their careers. Behind-the-wheel job candidates undergo a rigorous screening, training, and certification process to earn credentials to operate a right-hand drive postal vehicle.

Information on the National Safety Council’s Safe Driver Program is located at www.nsc.org/usps. Questions can be directed to the National Safety Council Customer Relations at 1-800-621-7619 or uspsawards@nsc.org.

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