When a passenger suddenly collapsed at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), TSA Officer Dominic Cherenzia quickly stepped in to help.
The passenger fell into his luggage after suffering a seizure. Cherenzia, a former emergency medical technician (EMT) for the Farmington Hills (Michigan) Fire Department, put his EMT training to the test, making sure the passenger’s airway wasn’t blocked.
“I rolled the passenger over onto his side and angled his backpack under him, so he could be stable on one side once he was done seizing,” Cherenzia recalled. “I took control of his neck and supported his head up to maintain his airway. I started talking to the passenger, letting him know people are here to assist him, that we were going to take care of him, and that everything is going to be alright.”
While assisting the man, another passenger, who is a nurse, came to help before medics arrived.
“The nurse who came along was great,” said Cherenzia. “She was able to talk to the 911 operator while I tended to the passenger, and I relayed all the information I gathered from the start of the incident. Having her there was a big help.”
After medics arrived and loaded the passenger onto a stretcher, he started regaining consciousness. Cherenzia gathered some of the man’s belongings to give to the EMTs before returning to the checkpoint to carry on with the day’s regular work of screening travelers.
Cherenzia, who just joined TSA in December 2022, has been out of the medical field for over a year but said, “When I started to interact with the passenger, my medical training started to come back in my memory, and I felt more comfortable in the situation.”
DTW TSA Manager LaToya Bell thanked Cherenzia for his quick thinking, compassion, knowledge, EMT skills and abilities to help the passenger.
“Great job, Officer Cherenzia, and thank you for stepping up,” Bell proclaimed. “Not all heroes wear capes; some wear a TSA uniform.”
“Dominic has only been with TSA for a few short months but has quickly proven his strong dedication to protecting our passengers,” added Michigan TSA Federal Security Director Reggie Stephens. “Congratulations, Dominic, for a job well done. You and your skills are a true asset to TSA DTW.”
Helping others seems to come naturally for Cherenzia.
“When I look back at the situation, I’m glad I stepped in and helped the passenger,” he said. “I know if I was in the exact situation, I would want someone to come help me in my time of need.”
By Don Wagner, TSA Strategic Communications & Public Affairs