(Source: Operation Lifesaver press release, March 30, 2022)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), announced it will award an Innovative Rail Safety Grant to Nebraska Operation Lifesaver (Nebraska OL). The grant will fund a Whistle-Stop Tour in September 2022 across 20 counties throughout the state with the highest rail-related fatalities and injuries over the last five years. In conjunction with the Whistle-Stop Tour, billboards, newspaper articles, and public service announcements (PSAs) will be distributed throughout the state.
OLI, the only non-profit and nationally recognized leader of rail safety education, is dedicated to saving lives by empowering the public to make safe choices near railroad tracks and trains.
“The Nebraska OL Whistle-Stop Tour takes an innovative approach to raising public awareness of the need to make safe choices at railroad crossings and along rights-of-way, encouraging citizens to volunteer for Operation Lifesaver and deepening local rail safety partnerships,” said OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “We are proud to partner again with the FRA on this grant, which supports creative ways to share the rail safety message,” she stated.
Said Nebraska Operation Lifesaver State Coordinator Debra Ashworth, “We look forward to connecting with Nebraskans, inviting first responders to our railroad safety team and recruiting volunteers to help share this important safety message in communities across the state.”
The Nebraska OL Whistle-Stop Tour is timed to coincide with Rail Safety Week, which this year will be held September 19-25 throughout North America. In each targeted county, Operation Lifesaver will provide free rail safety presentations to schools, businesses, professional drivers and other audiences identified through incident data, meet with local community leaders and public safety organizations and display their mobile training trailer. Media outreach and social media messaging in each location will emphasize the importance of reducing railroad crossing and trespass incidents in the 20 targeted counties and throughout the state.
“The Innovative Rail Safety Grant encourages new ways to address prevention of rail-related crossing and trespass incidents,” said James Payne, Staff Director of the FRA Grade Crossing Safety and Trespass Prevention Program Division. “We are pleased to continue our partnership on this grant with OLI.”
The grant was awarded through a competitive process based on criteria including a demonstrated safety need, concept creativity and the ability to scale projects.