Summer 2001
Volume 108 - No. 2
Summer 2001
Volume 108 - No. 2
BLE Focus
Miles to go before he retires
"If I save one life, the work is worth it."
This statement sums up the personal motto of retired BLE Division 740 (Pratt, Kan.) member and Operation Lifesaver volunteer Don Detwiler, who certainly does a lot of work for O.L.
In the 1990s, Detwiler and his wife, Goldie, were giving more than 250 presentations a year and logging approximately 2,500 miles per month for Operation Lifesaver. For their work, the couple received the 1996 Tom Roberts national volunteers of the year award from Operation Lifesaver.
The catalyst for Don's work was a collision one Christmas Eve that killed two young men. Don was firing on that train and the incident affected him deeply. He began his activism in grade crossing collision prevention then by writing letters to the editor and editorials in local newspapers.
"At that time, there were a lot of grade crossing collisions in Kansas and everywhere because of the large numbers of passenger trains," said Detwiler. "The newspapers always seemed to place the fault with the railroads and I wanted to tell the other side of the story."
When the O.L. chapter began in Kansas in 1974, Detwiler, a BLE member
since 1970, began his formal activism in the cause and he has been very
active ever since.
Detwiler touches several thousand lives every year with his presentations and contacts with people in Kansas. He helps to run many programs including the O.L. booth at the Kansas State Fair each September.
"I got railroaded into doing the State fair with my wife and two others in 1989," he said. "Now I recruit the personnel and man the booth."
Detwiler estimates that he makes 15,000-17,000 contacts with people during those 10 days at the fair each year. His other activities, including a yearly program at the Cedric County Zoo and the Kansas School bus rodeo, help him to contact thousands more. His wife Goldie also plays an active role in O.L.
"The railroad was very generous in allowing my wife to work on this program with me," said Detwiler. "It is one of my favorite things about doing Operation Lifesaver."
When the Detwilers visit schools, Goldie usually handles the presentations for the younger children while Don handles the older children and adults.
Detwiler, who retired in 1990, planned ahead in order to spend his retirement working on O.L. He made an agreement with his general manager prior to his retirement and while he has hit some snags along the way because of mergers and acquisitions, he has always been able to continue his work.
"I have always been able to convince the managers of the worth of this program," said Detwiler.
While he and Goldie have slowed down some in recent years, they still plan to continue their work on O.L.
"I enjoy this very much," said Detwiler. "I get to work with my wife and meet a lot of people who have become life-long friends."
© 2001 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers