BNSF News

BNSF Observes International Level-Crossing Awareness Day with a Variety of Activities

2012-06-18

BNSF participated in a wide range of activities the week of June 4 to observe International Level-Crossing Awareness Day.

The purpose of this international campaign is to raise awareness among drivers and pedestrians of the risks at highway rail grade crossings and to change their behavior. Forty-two countries committed to participate in the event.

BNSF participated in Officer on the Train events in eight states and positive enforcement events in four states. BNSF also participated in Operation Lifesaver presentations in Kansas and Illinois, as well as in grade-crossing collision investigation classes in Kansas and Oklahoma. Several other special events were also held.

Mark Schulze, vice president, Safety, Training and Operations Support, said, "Employees from Field Safety Support, Public Projects, Resource Protection, numerous train crews and other areas of Operations play a significant role in these types of events. These activities are a great opportunity to provide training and information to local law enforcement, as together we help to educate the public on the importance of safe behaviors on and near the tracks."

Officer on the Train events

Officer on the train events were held in Gallup, N.M.; Minot, N.D.; Fort Scott Subdivision; Lafayette, La.; Oklahoma City; Orange County and San Diego, Calif.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Amory, Miss.

Bryan Schaffer, senior special agent, Resource Protection, said 17 citations were issued during the two-hour event in Amory, Miss. The police chief and mayor rode in the locomotive as part of the event. "They were amazed at what they saw from the crew's perspective," Schaffer said. "The mayor thought the event was a great way to educate the community on obeying traffic and trespasser laws around railroad tracks."

A significant Operation Lifesaver event focused on the Bakken Basin, which encompasses western North Dakota and eastern Montana. This event involved a number of law enforcement and other partners: Operation Lifesaver from North Dakota and Montana, North Dakota Motor Carriers Association, North Dakota Petroleum Council Safety Committee, Montana Petroleum Council Safety Committee, Amtrak, law enforcement from both Montana and North Dakota, and the Federal Railroad Administration. Operation Lifesaver volunteers from six states assisted.

Activities included a "wrecked car" display, drivers' education presentation, Officer on the Train events and Operation Lifesaver presentations.

Cheri Bonebrake, coordinator, Field Safety Support, in the Minot area, said the safety blitz gave area law enforcement and FRA officials an opportunity to see the impact of safe and unsafe behavior around the tracks. "Growth in the Bakken Basin means more opportunity for error, and the safety blitz helped emphasize the important roles the different agencies play in educating the public about safe behaviors," she said.

Grade-crossing collision investigation class

In Oklahoma City, 30 cadets attended a BNSF-hosted grade-crossing collision investigation class followed by a train ride, static display, live example of remote-control operations and onsite signal education. During the train ride, motorcycle units wrote eight citations and one warning.

Click here for photos from a few of the BNSF events.

BNSF Headquarters

BNSF Railway Company
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P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com