Free e-Learning programme will provide crossing safety training for first responders
Posted: 4 April 2018 | Global Railway Review | 1 comment
There are 200,000 railroad crossings across the U.S. and only 80,000 emergency response vehicles travelling the nation’s roads daily. Instead of adding more vehicles onto the roads and creating more pollution, responders should receive quality training…
National rail safety, non-profit organisation, Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) wants to help first responders safely travel to emergencies and stay safe when responding to rail-related incidents in the U.S.
To help ensure this, OLI have created an interactive e-Learning programme which will educate on railroad basics, safety search, incident response and a crossing challenge – a virtual experience to an incident.
“Our free online Rail Safety for First Responders programme brings to attention the choices first responders often make around tracks and trains and is intended to help them safely traverse highway-rail intersections,” said OLI Interim President, Wende Corcoran.
It can take extra caution to navigate a railroad crossing when heading to an emergency, however ambulance drivers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and dispatchers can mitigate the risk by knowing what to do, Wende stated. OLI’s e-Learning Program, has been developed with input from fellow first responders, ensuring it covers all necessary aspects.
“First responders and emergency vehicle drivers are an extremely important target audience because of the high consequences of an emergency vehicle-train collision. We are grateful to our safety partners at the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Railroad Administration for funding development of this important safety tool for emergency response personnel,” Wende concluded.
Things a real Operation Lifesaver would ask!!!
1. Why are all OL directors handpuppets of the railroad or government only giving lip service safety messages?
2. Why nothing is ever mentioned by OL that would cost the railroads a penny on the obviously missing safety equipment and track maintenance work?
3. Where are the crossing safety signals for the trains going too fast with no brakes or steering at 1,000s of crossings?
4. Where are the track video monitors for the trains going too fast with no brakes or steering to get the train stopped IN TIME?
5. Why aren’t railroads paying at least half for crossing signals because it’s their trains going too fast with no brakes or steering while paying the so-called RR directors millions a year.
6. Why the crossing humps trapping big trucks aren’t required to be removed?
7. Why the crossing surfaces aren’t wider where if a vehicle fish tails on slick road and is trapped at the edge of the crossing surface trap?
8. Why the train cabs aren’t required to be lit up like a Christmas tree with emergency vehicle light bars? LOOK AND SEE!!
9. Why the front of trains aren’t required to have air bags or something to soften impacts?
10. Why trains don’t have better braking systems? OLIs message now shows train brakes obviously suck.
11. Why there are no bidding invitations on the obviously overcharged crossing projects the tax-payers pay the railroads for. $10,000 just to get the equipment to the sight. TRUCKED IN.
12. Why trains are allowed to run in the fog?
13. Why the crossings aren’t lit up so drivers can see the black rail cars across the tracks at night?
14. Why railroads remove and steal signals we paid for on closed re-worked crossings?
15. Why $$$millions$$$ of the rail safety budget we pay in is wasted on needless reworks at crossings preventing signals where needed?
16. Why the railroad isn’t required to de-ice crossings before they roll the trains?
17. Why the railroad isn’t required to raise their overpasses so big trucks can get under them? The railroad wants to double stack and our road overpasses are too low—no problem WE PAY MILLIONS.
18. Why drug/alcohol tests aren’t done on rail crews at crossing/pedestrian collisions?
19. Why railroads are allowed to get off with the train black box , signal black box (if crossing signals are present), and cab video at crossing/pedestrian collisions?
20. Why the fact is hidden that trains kill like 100 people in 100 million train miles when regular drivers have like ONE death? Amtrak over 350 killed.
21.Why Amtrak passengers aren’t required to look at the despicable shape of the crossings before they board the trains?
22.Why train horns aren’t blown at private crossings till the last second freezing drivers?
23.Why the railroads track lights can’t be at a crossing?
24 .Why railroads need track lights and civilians don’t?
25. Why trains can be at the same crossing at the same time blocking view?
WAITING FOR OLI/OLI.CA response.