Free e-Learning program from OLI provides crossing safety training for first responders

WASHINGTON, DC, April 2, 2018 — Every day, 80,000 emergency response vehicles travel the nation's roads; there are 200,000 railroad crossings on those roads. National rail safety nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) wants to help first responders safely travel to emergencies and stay safe when responding to rail-related incidents with its interactive e-Learning program.   

“Our free online Rail Safety for First Responders program brings attention to 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.

While it can take extra caution to navigate a railroad crossing while heading to an emergency, ambulance drivers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and dispatchers can mitigate the risk by knowing what to do, Corcoran said. Operation Lifesaver’s e-Learning Program, developed with input from fellow first responders, has four interactive sections:

• Railroad Basics – identify train cars, signs and signals
• Crossing Challenge – puts the user behind the wheel for a ‘virtual’ trip to an incident
• Safety Search – respond effectively to railroad safety risks
• Incident Response – manage an emergency on railroad tracks

“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,” Corcoran concluded.

More information about the e-Learning program and other safety resources for first responders is available on the OLI website.

About Operation Lifesaver - Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. A national network of trained volunteers provides free presentations on rail safety and a public awareness campaign, “See Tracks? Think Train!” equips the public with tips and statistics to encourage safe behavior near the tracks. Learn more at http://www.oli.org; follow OLI on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. 

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