FRA 04-03
Friday, May 16, 2003
Contact: Robert L. Gould
Warren
Flatau
Tel: (202)
493-6024
Federal Railroad
Administrator Announces $1 Million Grant To Operation Lifesaver, Inc. for Rail
Safety Outreach
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.
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