Operation Lifesaver Report
A busy Spring/Summer prompts an online OL Report published for our volunteers and partners scattered across the United States (and read by friends in Canada, Mexico, Britain, Estonia, etc.). Brief information about upcoming events and new materials will help keep you in the loop, often with a link leading to more information. Send your questions or comments to medwards@oli.org.
Marmie T. Edwards, APR, CAE
Vice President, Communications
Feature Story
OL Partner Dr. Lanny Wilson Receives
2006 Burch Safety Award
Gerri Hall, OL President, congratulates Dr. Lanny Wilson as he receives the Burch Safety Award.
Lanny F. Wilson, MD, received the 2006 Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award in Washington, April 27. The annual award honors the individual who has done the most to improve the safety of railroad passengers. Since 1994, when his daughter died in a car-train crash on the way to school, he and his family have been active in DuPage County, Illinois promoting rail safety. They sponsor an annual safety education event in the Chicago suburbs. His son, who was driving the car at the time of the crash, survived and appeared a year later on Dateline. His comments about how difficult it was to “lose his best friend, his sister” and how he thought he had time to get across ahead of the train, make a strong impression on teenagers, and adults as well.
Teens in a video class in Bethesda, Maryland, a Washington suburb, saw the Dateline clip while they were assisting Operation Lifesaver with a young driver training video. They obtained permission to use an edit from the news show. Many of the teens who see the clip as part of the Operation Lifesaver driver’s education video, say it has made them think more seriously about their responsibility as a driver.
The Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award is given annually by the Burch family in honor of Dr. Burch, who was killed with seven other passengers July 31, 1991, in a passenger train derailment in South Carolina.
Safety Spotlight Shines on Anaheim
California will glow brighter July 9-12 for the 2006 Operation Lifesaver International Symposium and Training Seminars. Program Development Chair-Elect and Symposium Host Shelly Harshaw invites all Presenters, Associates, Trainers, Friends and Partners to share the spotlight and the pleasure of being together.
Take this opportunity to reveal your novel ideas and burning questions within the OL Family. You’ll find neighboring states and far-flung partners have invested what they learned during the’04 Symposium to save lives. Grow new talent, hone the skills of experienced Presenters, build on the talents of all OL partners seeking new outreach opportunities to extend Operation Lifesaver’s safety message.
This year’s “Spotlight on Safety” will feature sessions addressing trends in highway-rail grade crossing safety and trespass prevention, plus hands-on workshops in a variety of areas. We’ll explore new methods and anticipated technology to assist in engineering and enforcement programs. You won’t want to miss any part of this outstanding symposium.
Many of you have already taken time to register for the Symposium and book a room at the Crowne Plaza. If you have not, go to the Operation Lifesaver web sits (www.oli.org).
Half-Day Light Rail and Emergency Responder Programs
We are staging half-day programs for our partners in Light Rail and the Rail Safety for Emergency Responders (RSER). These will be specifically for those people working in these industries. On-the-ground experiences from the Los Angeles MTA and the Muni will join representatives from the American Public Transit Association, Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. It is open to all transit agency personnel and is free. A second, shorter class about RSER will be available for Symposium participants interested in knowing more about the program.
|
