Safety Award Achievements:
- 2010 to 2014 – Jake Award – American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association
Operation Lifesaver
WHAT IS OPERATION LIFESAVER?
Operation Lifesaver is a proactive public education program first established in 1972 to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights-of-way. Operation Lifesaver programs are supported by a wide variety of partners,including federal, state, and local government agencies, highway safety organizations, law enforcement, the nation’s railroads and their suppliers.
HOW DOES OPERATION LIFESAVER WORK?
Operation Lifesaver’s trained and certified speakers provide free safety presentations for people of all professions and age groups to help them make safe decisions around tracks and trains. The Belt Railway Company of Chicago has established an Operation Lifesaver team dedicated to promoting rail safety throughout the communities it serves. Team members utilize educational brochures, videos, and coloring books for children to convey Operation Lifesaver’s message of safety and help reduce risk-taking behavior around railroad tracks and trains.
HOW CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPERATION LIFESAVER AND RAIL SAFETY?
Visit www.oli.org to find out more about rail safety for motorists and pedestrians. Free presentations are available for anyone who lives or travels near BRC train tracks: students, professional drivers, motorists, emergency responders and community leaders. To schedule a free presentation contact Director of Police and Risk Management Jerry Convoy and Young Lee by calling (312) 543 – 8269.
OPERATION LIFESAVER DRIVING TIPS:
ALWAYS EXPECT A TRAIN! Freight trains do not follow set schedules. Passenger train schedules change.
Never drive around lowered gates – it’s illegal and deadly. If you suspect a signal is malfunctioning, look for an emergency notification number posted on or near the crossing signal, or notify your local law enforcement agency.
Never race a train to the crossing – even if you tie, you lose!
Do not get trapped on the tracks. Only proceed through a highway rail grade crossing if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train is three feet wider than the tracks on both sides. A safe stopping distance from the tracks is 15 feet.
If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, immediately get everyone out and far away from the tracks. Call your local law enforcement agency for assistance.
Do not be fooled by the optical illusion – the train you see may be closer and faster moving than it appears to be. If you see a train approaching, wait for it to go by before you proceed across the tracks.
At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching in either direction.
Be aware that trains cannot stop quickly. Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 55 miles per hour can take a mile or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That’s 18 football fields!