Summer 2001
Volume 108 - No. 2
Summer 2001
Volume 108 - No. 2
BLE Focus
Last is first in safety
Operation Lifesaver is the community service of choice for many BLE members. Locomotive engineers are often the innocent victims of grade crossing collisions and often see O.L. as a way to stop collisions from occurring.
Affected by a grade crossing collision when he first became an engineer, Brother George Last of BLE Division 940 (Denver) began his 20 years of service to O.L.
Last, who is chairman of the Colorado State Legislative Board, joined the BLE in 1977 and began doing work with Operation Lifesaver about five years later. Over the years with Colorado O.L., he has been a presenter, a Grade Crossing Collision Instructor and the Material Co-coordinator for the state of Colorado. He now serves as the BLE representative on O.L.'s National Program Development Committee.
"I was invited to provide a voice for BLE members on this committee," said Last.
Operation Lifesaver is trying to become involved in the policy-making
process when it comes to such things as the use of active railroad rights-of-way
for hiking or biking trails. They attempt to inform communities and government
organizations about the dangers of trespassing on railroad property.
In addition to his work with the program development committee on the national level, Last also has helped develop many programs in the state of Colorado. He and the BLE assisted on an effort to keep people from using tunnels as shortcuts while hiking. As a result, the parks department set up a sign at Rattlesnake Gulch thanking the BLE for help on moving trails away from tunnels.
"We worked with the parks department to change the placement of trails as a way to keep people away from the tunnels," said Last.
In another effort, Last assisted in a statewide program that educated police and fire departments on how to respond to incidents on railroad property. Currently, there is a statewide effort to have an emergency response plan in place for all agencies to be ready for any railroad emergency. This program has been picked up by BNSF and they are taking it systemwide. O.L. is working to get the program enacted nationwide.
"We tried to teach them how to be safe while working on railroad property," said Last.
Eric Sondeen, State Coordinator of the Colorado Operation Lifesaver and a member of the International Association of Firefighters union, praised the work of Last and other BLE members in Colorado.
"BLE members have led most of the efforts to improve motorist, pedestrian and public safety along the rail corridors in our mountain state - for this I am personally appreciative," Sondeen said.
In fact, he reports that the training provided by Last literally saved the life of a Littleton, Colo., firefighter.
In his work with O.L., Last sees many things that need to be changed. First and foremost, he thinks that attitudes must be changed.
"People's attitudes, town's attitudes and even the attitudes of police and fire departments need to change," said Last. "Sometimes we will set up a booth in a town and people will ask why we are there. They say 'there are no trains in this town.' They don't even know that there are trains that run through there."
Last enjoys his work with O.L. because he can see the results of his efforts combined with the efforts of other individuals and communities.
"Grade crossing numbers go up and down in Colorado, but in the communities that have been made aware of the problem, the numbers have generally gone down," he said. "It has been the result of a collaborative effort between the railroads and community organizations."
Last is passionate about his work with O.L. and believes - because of its accomplishments - that more BLE members should get involved.
"BLE members are the first responders to many grade crossing collisions and are often emotionally affected by their experiences, so we need to make people aware of the problem," said Last. "I do this because it is something that needs to be done."
© 2001 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers