Letter carrier Pattie Arismendez was on the job when she noticed a toddler wandering alone into a busy street. As cars flew by, Pattie ran into traffic and rescued the child. She then went on a door-to-door search to find the baby's mother. "As a mother, I would have been totally terrified," she says. "We're out there every day, and we have [our customer's] best interest at heart."

Robert Sweeny was just finishing his day when a terrified mother ran out of her house. Her infant wasn't breathing. Robert fearlessly grabbed the baby from her arms and began performing CPR. Paramedics say he saved the baby's life. "I never thought I'd have to do that," he says. "It was emotional."

Walter Hayes was delivering the mail when he witnessed a 6-year-old boy get hit with a car. Walter rushed to his side and immediately called 911. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Walter threw his own body over the boy's to keep him warm and stave off shock. "Our job is not just to carry the mail," he says. "We're basically an extension of your family."