Operation Lifesaver awards state chapter grants for education safety campaign

Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration, announced on Wednesday it awarded more than $200,000 in grants to 21 state Operation Lifesaver programs for grade crossing safety and anti-trespassing public education projects and public service announcements.

The projects and announcements will be designed in conjunction with OLI's recently launched "See Tracks? Think Train!" public awareness campaign, OLI officials said in a press release.

The grants will be awarded to Operation Lifesaver organizations in Alabama, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.

"The grants will fund a wide variety of projects to expand the reach of our new safety campaign and further Operation Lifesaver's mission of eliminating collisions, injuries and deaths at crossings and along rail property," said OLI President and Chief Executive Officer Joyce Rose.

The FRA provided funding for the grants.

"Our rail safety partnership with Operation Lifesaver is very important to FRA, and we are proud to be a part of the 'See Tracks? Think Train!' educational campaign," said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo.

The state programs will use the funding to spread "See Tracks? Think Train!" safety messages via television, radio, billboards, sporting events and movie theater advertising. They also will create public education displays for large events; and target students, school bus drivers, Spanish-speaking populations and the news media to raise awareness and about the dangers near tracks and trains.

OLI plans to announce the results of a similar grant program for transit-rail safety education projects in mid-August.