Subway Rescue Hero

Lisa Donath was running late. Heading down the sidewalk toward her subway stop in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood, she decided to skip her usual espresso. Donath, 25, had a lot to do at work, plus visitors on the way: Her parents were coming in for Thanksgiving from her hometown of Minneapolis. But as she hustled down the stairs and through the long tunnel, she started to feel uncomfortably warm. By the time she got to the platform, Donath felt faint-maybe it hadn't been a good idea to give blood the night before, she thought. She leaned heavily against a post close to the tracks. READ MORE

Fire Rescue Hero

When Jim Grant spotted black smoke billowing out of a San Diego apartment building on his way to work, he stopped his car to dial 911, then did something totally out of character: The contractor circled back to take another look. "I know firefighters and police don't like lookie-loos," he says, "so I never do that." But for some reason that day, Grant made a U-turn.

Pulling up to the three-story building, Grant was surprised to find bystanders on the sidewalk but no firefighters. Flames were shooting out of a second-floor window. READ MORE