For 50 years, Operation Lifesaver (OL) has been the leading national non-profit public education program for rail safety education, committed to preventing collisions, injuries and fatalities on and around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings for pedestrians and vehicles of all types.

Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas is led by the North Dakota Safety Council and supported by a variety of partners, including federal, state and local government agencies, highway safety organizations, law enforcement and the nation’s railroads and their suppliers.

Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas supports three critical principles:

  • Education: Operation Lifesaver strives to provide education to people of all ages about the hazards at highway-rail crossings. Methods used to reach the public include civic presentations, early elementary and driver education curriculum activities, school bus driver training, industrial safety, law enforcement training, and media coverage.
  • Enforcement: Along with education, enforcement is necessary to provide rules and regulations to motorist and pedestrian as to the rights and responsibilities at highway-rail crossings.
  • Engineering: Highway-rail crossings must be kept as physically and operationally as safe as possible, with improvements made where needed. The public should be educated about federal, state and railroad programs that plan, install and maintain grade crossings.

Committee members represent the following rails and agencies:

• Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway
• Canadian Pacific Railway
• Dakota Missouri Valley & Western Railroad
• Federal Rail Administration
• Moorhead, MN Police Department
• Northern Plains Railroad

• North Dakota Department of Transportation
• North Dakota Highway Patrol
• North Dakota Public Service Commission
• North Dakota Safety Council
• Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad
• Red River Valley & Western Railroad

Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas promotes public education and awareness of pedestrian and vehicle rail safety across North and South Dakota, with emphasis on photographers, trespassers/homeless, new drivers, mature drivers, school bus drivers, commercial drivers, farm equipment, tourists, and ditch mowers.

Kevin Brown
State Coordinator
Operation Lifesaver of the Dakotas

dl: (701) 751-6114
ph: (701) 223-6372
tf: (800) 932-8890

kevinb@ndsc.org

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