Operation Lifesaver awards rail safety grants to 12 state programs

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), awarded $200,000 in grants to 12 Operation Lifesaver state programs for rail safety public education and awareness campaigns, OLI officials announced last week.

Operation Lifesaver organizations in Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin will use the grants to establish programs and promote public safety messages via television, radio, movie theaters and billboards, they said.

"Our OLI state coordinators proposed some very exciting initiatives to help further Operation Lifesaver's mission of eliminating collisions, injuries and deaths at crossings and along rail property," said Joyce Rose, OLI president and chief executive officer. "These projects will go a long way toward increasing the number of eyes and ears that receive our message."

The FRA, OLI's national partner and adviser, provides the grant funding.