April 2026 Employees of the Month: MDSO deputies improvise on the fly to get a traveler with disabilities to her flight

Last month, while Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) deputies Julio Hernandez and Oscar Mendez were on their bike patrol, they encountered a distressed couple who had been waiting for over an hour for wheelchair assistance they had requested through their airline. The couple had been accidentally dropped off at the arrivals level instead of the departures level for check-in, which added to their difficulties.

After the deputies tried to find an airline employee who could provide wheelchair assistance during the busy peak travel period, they literally took matters into their own hands and improvised a way for the couple to reach the airline check-in counter on the next level up without a wheelchair.

They secured a luggage cart, loaded the couple’s bags, and safely lifted the passenger with disabilities onto the cart. One deputy wheeled her through the terminal, while the other followed on their bicycle and accompanied the other traveler. They escorted the couple directly to their airline check-in counter and ensured that they received immediate assistance.

“In my haste to get checked in, after thanking the officer, I neglected to get their names from their uniform IDs,” the traveler wrote in an email after he arrived at his destination. “I’m hoping my description of the date, time, and location will allow you to identify the officers and again thank them for all their assistance and make sure they receive any special recognition you have to offer.”

In recognition of their compassion, initiative, and “I am MIA” attitude, deputies Hernandez and Mendez were named MIA’s April 2026 Employees of the Month.