February 2022 Employee of the Month: Employee gives unconscious passenger CPR on the fly

Thanks to Miami-Dade Aviation Department Terminal Operations Agent Melissa Hernandez being quick on her feet and a fast learner, she was able to help a nonresponsive passenger regain consciousness after a bad fall.

In December, Melissa was working in the Concourse E U.S. Customs and Border Protection area when she heard a loud sound nearby and then two co-workers calling her over for assistance. A male passenger had apparently just suffered a medical episode, had fallen back onto the floor, and was nonresponsive. Melissa immediately contacted 9-1-1 and with help from the 9-1-1 dispatcher, she began to administer first aid and CPR until the paramedics arrived. Despite the sudden emergency and the man bleeding from his head, Melissa did not flinch but calmly and swiftly helped the passenger back to health. Because of Melissa’s quick thinking and compassion for a passenger in medical distress, she was named MIA’s February 2022 Employee of the Month.