Checked Baggage Supervisor, Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Transportation Security Administration
[On April 2, 2014, while waiting for a train to work, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Supervisor Eddie Palacios heard individuals yelling that a woman had fallen onto the tracks. Palacios jumped onto the tracks and into harm’s way, and waved his arms to get the attention of the oncoming train’s conductor. The train came to a stop approximately 20 feet from Palacios. The woman who had fallen was removed from the tracks and taken to a nearby hospital. Palacios explained his tardiness to his supervisor simply by saying, “…somebody needed help at the train station, so I helped them.”