Railroad Safety Task Force seeks volunteers

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The Delaware County Railroad Safety Task Force is looking for residents of Delaware County who are interested in “spreading the message of safety when crossing railroad tracks,” according to co-chair Stan Haas.

The task force, established by Delaware County commissioners in 1998, is dedicated to improving the safety of communities near railroad tracks and at railroad crossings in Delaware County, says Haas and co-chair Steve Thomas.

The task force works with the CSX and the Norfolk Southern railroads, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Delaware County Engineer’s Office to improve, upgrade and install active warning devices at all grade crossings in the county, Haas says.

The task force also provides free safety presentations, customized for different age groups (preschool, Head Start through senior high school, school bus drivers, truck drivers and older adult drivers ), using materials provided by Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit international organization dedicated to the public’s safety when interacting with railroad crossings and right of way. “We work with the local schools, civic groups and public safety personnel in Delaware County to bring the presentations to as many children and adults as possible in our communities,” Haas says.

Residents of Delaware County who are interested in working with the task force do not need railroad experience, he says, “only a desire to help keep our children and neighbors safe around railroads.”

For more information about the task force, contact Thomas at 614-579-4475, Haas at 740-363-9105, Frank Danalewich at 614-890-2171 or the county engineer’s office at 740-833-2412.

Task force meetings occur on the third Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at the county engineer’s office, 50 Channing St., Delaware. They are open to the public.

Staff Report

Information for this story was provided by the Delaware County Railroad Safety Task Force.

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