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U.S.Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
Washington, D.C.
www.dot.gov/affairs/briefing.htm
News |
Federal Railroad Administrator Announces $1 Million Grant to Operation Lifesaver, Inc. for Rail Safety Outreach
Contact: Warren Flatau
Telephone: (202) 493-6024
Friday, May 16, 2003 (Washington, DC) Demonstrating the Bush Administration’s commitment to safety, Federal Railroad Administrator Allan Rutter today announced the awarding of a $1,025,000 grant to Alexandria, VA -based Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), the nation’s premier nonprofit railroad safety education organization. Rutter presented OLI President Gerri Hall a ceremonial check during the organization’s Annual Operation Lifesaver Day event, held Wednesday evening at Union Station in Washington, D.C.
In making the presentation, Administrator Rutter said, “Operation Lifesaver volunteers have been hard at work for thirty years literally performing life-saving work. As we celebrate National Transportation Week, I want to express the Administration’s deepest appreciation for the significant progress that’s been made in the areas of highway-rail grade crossing safety and trespass prevention. OLI’s ongoing partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and the railroad industry provides ample evidence that sustained public-private cooperation can indeed bring about positive results.”
OLI President Gerri Hall said, “Despite the fact that highway-rail collisions, fatalities and injuries have declined, we must continue to reach out to the American public with our safety message. This annual grant helps us educate all Americans to ‘Look, Listen and Live!’ at highway-rail crossings, and to ‘Stay Off, Stay Away and Stay Alive!’ at active rail lines.”
The safety-oriented grant enables OLI to conduct wide-ranging public education and awareness programs related to highway-rail grade crossing safety and railroad trespassing. OLI programs include training and education modules developed especially for primary and secondary school educators and students, general audiences, law enforcement and judicial officials, emergency responders, commercial truck drivers, and others. In addition, OLI performs specialized communication outreach programs such as providing print and broadcast public service announcements to news media. A portion of the grants will also be used to fund dedicated regional and local outreach and programming.
Congress provided for the grant in the Omnibus Appropriations Act for 2003. Through the application of a 25 percent matching fund requirement, the grant leverages additional funds from non-federal sources. Operation Lifesaver was created in 1972 when grade crossing collisions exceeded 12,000 annually. With their assistance, that number has been reduced by nearly 75 percent. Between 1978 and 1986, Operation Lifesaver operated under the auspices of the National Safety Council. In 1986, the national program was incorporated as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization. Today, Operation Lifesaver programs are active in 49 states nationwide.
