Monday, September 30, 2024
Heroes
Highway hero
A letter carrier helped rescue a customer from a car fire
In April, Letter Carrier Tesfaye Deyasso was returning to his Minneapolis home after his shift when he came upon a car ablaze with the driver trapped inside.
Deyasso and several others attempted to rescue the man, but a guardrail blocked the driver’s door and flames prevented access to the passenger door.
One rescuer was able to break the driver’s window, allowing Deyasso and others to pull the man from the vehicle as the car went up in flames.
The rescue was captured by another vehicle’s dashcam and received national news coverage.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital and had no reported injuries.
The driver and his wife later took all of his rescuers to brunch.
“Tes said the driver was very emotional,” said Dannette Kramer, customer services supervisor for the St. Louis Park, MN, Post Office, where Deyasso works.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Is your emergency supply kit stocked?
To be prepared, here’s what you should have on hand
To help mark National Preparedness Month in September, the Postal Service is encouraging employees to prepare or freshen their home emergency supply kit.
Such a kit is a collection of basic items to meet the needs of your family — including pets — for at least 72 hours.
These items should be packed in a portable container, such as a plastic bin or duffel bag, in the event you need to evacuate. Everyone in your household should know where the kit is kept.
At minimum, experts recommend that an emergency supply kit have the following:
• One gallon of water per person, per day;
• Nonperishable, easy-to-prepare food;
• Medications and any needed medical items;
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight and extra batteries;
• A cellphone with chargers and a backup battery;
• Copies of personal documents (medication lists and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed or home lease, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies);
• First-aid supplies;
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties; and
• Other items needed by family members and pets.
The Personal Preparedness Blue page has more information.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered Sept. 22-28
A new stamp and National Postal Customer Council Week made news
The release of the Postal Service’s latest Kwanzaa stamp was a highlight of Link’s coverage last week.
The stamp, the 10th honoring the Pan-African holiday since 1997, was dedicated during a ceremony in Pittsburgh.
“The issuance of this Kwanzaa stamp is a powerful symbol of the enduring principles of the holiday,” said Roderick Sallay, the USPS director of legislative policy and strategy development, who spoke during the event.
“It recognizes Kwanzaa’s ability to inspire and unite people through its emphasis on community, self-determination and collective responsibility. By placing these values on a stamp, we affirm their universal relevance and their potential to enrich our daily lives,” he said.
Link also covered National Postal Customer Council Week, and we told you about the Postal Service’s general election preparations, a pilot program for nursing employees and virtual job fairs for sales positions that will be held Sunday, Sept. 29, and Monday, Sept. 30.
Additionally, we introduced you to “Heroes” such as Tesfaye Deyasso, a St. Louis Park, MN, letter carrier who helped rescue a customer from a car fire; went “On the Job” with Beth Allen, a USPS tractor-trailer operator in Lexington, KY; and went “Off the Clock” with Jerry Loney, a Topeka, KS, letter carrier whose alter ego is J.R. Juggles the Clown.
“Clowning is a serious job,” Loney said. “Every person who hires me is my boss. Every show is different. I’ve also got to be quick because my magic tricks fail sometimes. So I say, ‘Oh, I’m just clowning around.’”