WASHINGTON, DC, June 13, 2023 – Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) released the following statement by Executive Director Rachel Maleh ahead of the June 14-16 international conference devoted to trespass prevention, crossing safety and the June 15 observance of International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD):
“Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) is proud to participate in the 15th Annual International Level Crossing Awareness Day on June 15 – a crucial global event dedicated to promoting safe behavior at railroad crossings. We also are honored to be among the speakers at this year’s ILCAD Conference in Warsaw, Poland sharing best practices for improving crossing safety. OLI has participated in ILCAD since it began in 2009, and last year served on the organizing committee for the 2022 conference in Denver, CO, which included sessions devoted to trespass awareness and prevention. OLI works collaboratively with its international partners on best practices for reducing the number of incidents as well as sharing the rail safety message with a variety of audiences.
“The 2023 ILCAD theme targets agricultural and industrial crossing users with the slogan Tracks are for Trains. OLI wants all farmers and farm machinery operators to be safe in the field and always expect a train. In addition to our programs in 47 states and the District of Columbia, which provide free rail safety education in farming communities reaching agricultural workers where they are, we have brochures, videos, public service announcements, lesson plans and activities as well as other online resources to help farmers and farm machine operators make safe choices around tracks and trains.
“Going beyond the outreach to farm communities, Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteers (OLAVs) offer free rail safety presentations to a wide range of audiences across the U.S. including professional drivers, new drivers, school bus drivers, first responders, K-12 students and much more. In the U.S., organizations, schools and groups can sign up for a free rail safety presentation and learn more about volunteering with OLI to make a difference in your community by visiting oli.org today. Together, we can stop track tragedies.”
