operation lifesaver 2011 annual report
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
As National Director of Operation Lifesaver I am privileged to be able to share with you the many successes we had in the past year in this Annual Report. Our mission to prevent deaths and injuries related to highway-railway crossing and trespassing incidents does not vary from year to year – just as the commitment of our partners and volunteers never wavers. But times change and we must continually evaluate our messaging strategies, target audiences and educational resources in order to keep our mission relevant.
This report outlines the results we achieved in 2011 – financially and in creating awareness and holding events and activities. In looking back on 2011, it was another year of innovation. Much like 2010, we worked to adapt our messages to suit the various new media formats that are emerging. You will see throughout this report that we have made great strides in ensuring that our messages are web friendly.
In 2010 our Advisory Committee set a number of strategic priorities, one of which was to find a way to reach the tough Grades 7 and 8 demographic. This age group is particularly difficult to reach because they assess risk poorly, tend to tune-out authority and place a high importance on peer relationships. I am proud to say that in 2011 we met this challenge with the Off the Rails Contest, an interactive contest directed at youth aged 11 – 14. You will be able to read more about this contest throughout the report.
With the passing of each year, it is important to recognize the incredible dedication and commitment of our partners and volunteers. Without them, these achievements would not have been possible. I would also like to take this time to thank our parent, the Railway Association of Canada, our partner, Transport Canada, our Advisory Committee, OL Program Review Committee and the OL Provincial Committees. The dedication and contribution of these groups is pivotal to our success.
Rail safety is only achievable if we work together, so we welcome your feedback. Please share with us your ideas on how to make sure our rail safety message remains relevant and accessible to all Canadians.
Make safety your priority.
OPERATION LIFESAVERANNUAL REPORT 2011
Fiscal Year Start 01-01-11Fiscal Year End 31-12-11
99 Bank Street, Suite 901Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9(613) 564-8100
DIRECTOR’S WELCOME
LOOK, LISTEN & LIVE
Daniel (Dan) Di Tota National Director
Working to prevent collisions between trains and motor vehicles, and trespassing incidents that lead to serious injury or death - because even one incident is one too many!
ANNUAL REPORT 2011
MISSION AND PURPOSE 1GOALS MET 1
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 2RESULTS 3
EVENTS 5PROMOTION 7ADVOCACY 9
FUTURE 11ADVISORY COMMITTEE 13
facebook.com/opl i fesaver
twi t ter.com/opl i fesaver
youtube.com/Operat ionLi fesaverCA
ANNUAL REPORT 20111
MISSION AND PURPOSEEvery year in Canada, approximately 300 collisions and trespassing incidents occur at highway-railway crossings and along railway tracks, resulting in the death or serious injury of nearly 130 people. Virtually all of these incidents could be avoided.
Operation Lifesaver is an international, not-for-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending preventable collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway/railway crossings and on railway rights-of-way through education and in support of enforcement and engineering principles.
Our mandate is to eliminate the loss of life, injury and damage caused by preventable highway/railway crossing collisions and train/pedestrian incidents.
We make over 500 presentations per year and work with the rail industry, government, police, unions, the media, community organizations and the public to spread the word.
Our statistics show Operation Lifesaver education works. Over the past 30 years, we have helped reduce crossing collisions by 78% and trespassing incidents by 54%.
GOALS FROM 2010 THAT WERE MET IN 2011As in years past, we set a number of important goals to accomplish in 2011. Below you’ll find a number of tasks we are proud to have achieved during the past year.
• In 2010 the Advisory Committee identified students in Grades 7 and 8 as a key target audience of the program. In 2011, we focused on making students in these grades active participants in our rail-safety message. In September 2011 we launched the Off the Rails Contest. This contest directly met this goal and was extremely successful. Read more about it on page 7.
• 2011 saw another successful Rail Safety Week. We focused on strategically targeting local community media for coverage of the various events held by our partners and stakeholders. We were very pleased with the media coverage we received. Read more about 2011’s Rail Safety Week on page 5.
• At the end of 2010 we completely revised the Professional Drivers Materials that had been created as part of Direction 2006. In 2011, these new materials were distributed through our network to driver’s education organizations and relevant committees. The new items have proven popular and we receive requests for them on an ongoing basis.
• The beta version of the computer based training program for Operation Lifesaver presenters was completed in December of 2010. Throughout 2011 the program was in the testing phase. Feedback has been positive and the program will go live in 2012.
• In the past we identified the need for standalone learning resources to be used in areas where we do not have presenters available. In 2011 we developed professional quality standalone PowerPoint materials to satisfy this requirement. Read more about these materials on page 8.
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 2
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Revenues 2011 2010Members’ AssessmentsTransport Canada RevenuesOther Income
Totals
$320,406$300,000
$200
$620,606
$333,818$300,000
-
$633,818
Expenditures 2011 2010Coordinators’ MeetingsEducation VehicleFilm & DuplicatingGrants & Donations(including Provincial Safety Leagues)
Office and MiscellaneousPresenter’s GuidesPrinting and SuppliesPublicitySalaries, Benefits & Contracted ServicesTravelTranslation
Totals
$7,468-
$4,069$27,996
$33,258-
$41,181$46,141
$416,272$44,221
-
$620,606
$19,491-
$63,869$35,873
$22,594-
$81,270$14,814
$352,049$43,856
-
$633,818
(unaudi ted; as at December 31, 2011)
ANNUAL REPORT 20113
Year-over-year we continue to see a decline in both crossing and tresspassing incidents thanks in part to the dedication of our partners, staff, and volunteers. Definitely a trend worth repeating!
RESULTS
0
118
236
354
472
590
708
826
1980 1981 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2011
826763
606
386 365
262 270
180 169177
109 105 86112
79 83 81 67
Trespassing AccidentsCrossing Accidents
ProvinceActive
VolunteersTotals
Alberta 5British Columbia 18Manitoba 8New Brunswick 17Newfoundland 4Nova Scotia 7Ontario 54Quebec 48Saskatchewan 1
Totals 162
TOTAL ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS(January 1 to December 31, 2011)
(Source: Transportat ion Safety Board of Canada)
ACCIDENTS
Crossing AccidentsTrespassing Accidents
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 4
0
56
112
168
224
280
336
392
448
504
560
BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS NL
2008 2009 2010 2011
0
56
112
168
224
280
336
392
448
504
560
BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS NL
2008 2009 2010 2011
RESULTS
TOTAL OL PRESENTATIONS AND ACTIVITIES(January 1 to December 31, 2004 - 2011)
Notes: 2009 figures include Race Against Drug Program stats (Activities).
PRESENTATIONS BY PROVINCE(January 1 to December 31, 2008 - 2011)
(28) (1) (109) (133) (102) (52) (4) (55)
(actual count shown in brackets by Province)
0
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
2,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
110
561
1,381
371316
693667
199
538596
1,5681,446
1,5331,643
1,4631,337
PresentationsActivities
0
250
500
750
1,000
1,250
1,500
1,750
2,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
110
561
1,381
371316
693667
199
538596
1,5681,446
1,5331,643
1,4631,337
PresentationsActivities
(54)
ANNUAL REPORT 20115
With a message as important as rail safety, it’s imperative that we are actively promoting it in communities across Canada. The only way to spread our message is by remaining in the forefront of the public’s mind.
Here are a few ways that Operation Lifesaver, our partners, volunteers and a number of provincial committees made sure that rail safety was on the mind of Canadians.
RAIL SAFETY WEEKMay 2 - 8, 2011 Canada-wide
During Rail Safety Week 2011, Operation Lifesaver’s partners and volunteers held over 300 events across the country including: school presentations, mock railway-crossing collisions, safety blitzes at stations, crossing blitzes, rail safety kiosks, public service announcements and traffic enforcement blitzes. We focused on strategically targeting local community media for coverage of these events. As a result, we received a great deal of media attention, with news stories coming out of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
MANITOBA OPERATION LIFESAVER PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE: RE-ESTABLISHEDFebruary 2011 Winnipeg, Manitoba
In February 2011 the Manitoba Provincial Committee was re-established. The new committee consists of representatives from Via Rail, CN Police, Transport Canada, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, Central Manitoba Railway Inc. and Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. The committee participated in last year’s Rail Safety Week by setting up an information booth at the VIA Rail Station and holding a trespassing blitz.
SIMULTANEOUS CROSSING BLITZESMay 2, 2011 Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick
The New Brunswick Provincial Committee, in conjunction with the RCMP, conducted two simultaneous crossing blitzes at the Ferry Road/Nerepis Road and River Valley Drive crossings in Grand Bay-Westfield to promote the Operation Lifesaver message. These two one-hour blitzes provided participants with the opportunity to distribute Operation Lifesaver materials to approximately 600 drivers.
PRESENTATION AT POLICE WEEKMay 12 & 13, 2011 Sydney, Nova Scotia
On behalf of the Nova Scotia Provincial Committee, members Debbie Young and Tom Ripley took part in Police Week. The pair set up a booth that included: Operation Lifesaver videos, the Operation Lifesaver safety display unit, several publications and Operation Lifesaver safety materials. Over 800 school-aged children and adults attended this event.
MOCK COLLISIONMay 4, 2011 Labrador City, Newfoundland
During Rail Safety Week 2011, a mock collision was held at a major level crossing in Labrador City. High school students participated as victims and mining company and municipal responders participated in the rescue and recovery. Public information pamphlets were distributed to motorists at the mock disaster scene. A debriefing session was held following the re-enactment and Safety Services Newfoundland Labrador President, Len LeRiche, provided a number of observations and recommendations for future events. This activity received media coverage on both radio and TV and in print.
Remaining active in our communitiesEVENTS
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 6
THE MOTORIZED RECREATIONAL SPORTS SHOW (SALON DES SPORTS RÉCRÉATIFS MOTORISÉS DE QUÉBEC)October 14 - 16, 2011 Québec City, Québec
In 2011, the Quebec Provincial Committee committed to spreading the Operation Lifesaver rail safety message to all terrain vehicle and recreational vehicle operators and enthusiasts at conferences and tradeshows. The committee set up a booth with the Operation Lifesaver safety display unit at The Motorized Recreational Sports Show. This annual tradeshow features everything related to snowmobiles, ATVs, watercraft and motorcycles. Targeted media campaigns help to ensure that the event is well covered and that it reaches motorized recreational sports enthusiasts.
OPERATION LIFESAVERANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGOctober 4 - 5, 2011 Ottawa, Ontario
In 2011, the decision was made to cancel the Operation Lifesaver Annual Conference as attendance has been steadily diminishing over the past few years. Instead, an Annual General Meeting has been established where members of the Advisory Committee, the Program Review Committee and representatives from active OL provincial committees will be able to meet to discuss the direction of the program, set priorities for the year, share ideas and work together in the decision process. The first General Meeting was held in October 2011. From 2012 onward, it will be held in January.
EVENTS
ANNUAL REPORT 20117
PARTNERSHIP WITH CANADIAN GEOGRAPHICTHE OFF THE RAILS CONTEST
Directed at 11 – 14 year olds, the Off the Rails Contest was launched in September 2011 and asked youth to create a rail safety message urging their peers to stay off the rails. Working in teams of two or more, youth were encouraged to have fun creating a message in the form of a short video, a poster, a song or even a comic strip. Contest prizes included four grand prizes of $2,000 and eight secondary prizes of $500, totaling more than $10,000. A special website was created for the contest: www.offtherailscontest.ca.
The contest deadline was December 31, 2011: 76 registered teams participated, there were teams from seven different provinces and a total of 31 submissions were received. The public voting portion of the contest will run from February 1 – February 29, 2012. Prizes will be handed out during Rail Safety Week, which will take place from April 30 – May 6, 2012.
Adapting and innovating to raise awareness with a wider audience
Operation Lifesaver has been in existence for more than 30 years. Over this time a lot has changed, but our message has remained the same. In order to make sure that our message stays relevant and front-of-mind for Canadians of all ages, we continuously re-work our materials - innovating and adapting so that we can reach our audience by whatever medium they demand.
Below you’ll find a few of the cutting edge messaging strategies we developed in 2011.
PROMOTION
In an effort to promote the Off the Rails Contest, we created a poster, along with an introductory letter, which we sent to 250 school boards in Canada. Once we had received positive support, we partnered with Canadian Geographic to have 15,000 inserts, containing our poster and letter, distributed along with their July/August special rail revival edition. 11,000 went to members, typically geography teachers, and the remaining 4,000 to people outside of schools.
YOUTH YOUTUBE VIDEOIn 2011, Operation Lifesaver received a number of complaints regarding the growing number of videos being posted by young people on YouTube that depicted inappropriate activity around railway property. In order to counter this disturbing trend, we produced and posted our own YouTube “PSA” to help demonstrate potential consequences of such activity. This low-profile video was intended to simulate amateur footage in an attempt to reach out to this audience. The video was produced by Digital Video Productions from Barrie, Ontario, and featured student actors from Applewood Heights Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario.
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 8
STANDALONE POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONSThese professional quality presentations were developed to run in settings without a presenter. Slideshows are intended to deliver the Operation Lifesaver safety message at a variety of unmanned locations (display booths, trade shows, stations, etc.). They can be looped and used on TVs and monitors and are available for the following audiences: truck drivers, school bus drivers, motor coach and transit drivers, emergency responders, newly licensed drivers and recreational vehicle operators. A presentation featuring trespassing information is also available.
UPDATED PUBLIC RAIL SAFETY GUIDESAND TIP SHEETSIn 2011, the Public Rail Safety Guide and 11 Tip Sheets for a number of audiences were revised. The graphics and wording were updated and appropriate links to the Operation Lifesaver website and our various social media sites were added.
PROMOTION
2011 ROGER CYR AWARDThe Roger Cyr Award, named after the founder of Operation Lifesaver Canada, is presented annually to an individual who helps reduce highway-railway crossing collisions and trespassing incidents. The 2011 recipient was veteran train engineer with the Québec-Gatineau Railway (QGR) and a certified Operation Lifesaver presenter since 2009, Miguel Lewerenz.
On his personal time Mr. Lewerenz has met with principals of the Trois-Rivières school board, clubs such as the model railroading club, and a cross-section of public safety officials. Mr. Lewerenz has delivered more than 30 presentations to students at local schools, represented Operation Lifesaver in the Québec ATV tradeshow and promoted rail safety during public safety events.
Mr. Lewerenz was presented with his award at a dinner hosted by Operation Lifesaver and the Québec-Gatineau Railway in Montreal, on September 19, 2011.
Below lef t to r ight: Coordinator, Tra ining & Rules Norm Adams (Québec-Gat ineau Rai lway) , OL Volunteer Emi ly Laval lée-Br ien (Québec-Gat ineau Rai lway) , Pres ident Mario Braul t (Québec-Gat ineau Rai lway) , Roger Cyr Award recipient Miguel Lewerenz, OL Nat ional Director Dan Di Tota, VP Safety & Compl iance Tyrone James (Genesee & Wyoming Inc. ) , Supervisor and OL Volunteer Stéphane Lafontaine (Québec-Gat ineau Rai lway) .
ANNUAL REPORT 20119
CHANGES TO THE RAILWAY SAFETY ACTIn October 2011, Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities announced that the Government of Canada had re-introduced legislation to improve rail safety in Canada. These changes will put the Railway Safety Act on par with other Acts governing other modes of transportation. In particular, these changes are designed to encourage enhanced safety management systems (SMS) and promote a culture of safety around railways. The new Act will also require railways to qualify for Railway Operating Certificates based on their SMS and penalize rule breakers with tough new monetary penalties.
Operation Lifesaver and our partners promoted additional changes to the Railway Safety Act amendment package regarding grade crossing safety improvement and better management of land use planning and development near railway property. Specifically, the industry wants to ensure that communities notify the affected railways of zoning changes and new developments in order to prevent trespass issues.
GRADE CROSSING CLOSURE PROGRAM FOLLOW-UPIn last year’s Annual Report we mentioned Transport Canada’s Grade Crossing Closure Program, a grant program aimed at reducing the number of grade crossings in Canada. Eligible grant recipients – municipalities, provinces, businesses and private citizens – who own the rights to use a passive railway crossing can sign an agreement giving up these rights and close the crossing.
In 2011, VIA’s Safety, Security and Risk Management team, in collaboration with Operations, launched an initiative to convince landowners to close as many private level crossings as possible, and raise awareness of the grants offered by the Grade Crossing Program. As a result of this effort, the following farm/private crossings were closed last year:
• VIA Alexandria Subdivision (Coteau to Ottawa) - 55• VIA Chatham Subdivision (Chatham to Windsor) – 4• CN Kingston Subdivision (Brockville to Oshawa) – 7
CN and CP are also conducting work on their properties to eliminate redundant and unsafe crossings. In addition, a number of other safety improvements were made to crossings along VIA, CN and CP tracks.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) BETWEENTHE CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION AGENCY AND TRANSPORT CANADAThe Canadian Transportation Agency and Transport Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure all new crossings being considered across the country have a full safety assessment completed before being approved.
LAND USE GUIDELINESAs new developments are built near railway property there is greater interaction between people and trains. This leads to enhanced risks for trespassing, injuries and deaths. Land use guidelines are designed to minimize such risks. In 2011, Operation Lifesaver, along with our partners, continued to promote existing land use guidelines to communities and railways.
NEW GUIDELINES FOR CONVERSION OF LAND FROM COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIALIn 2011, our partners began the development of new guidelines for conversion of land from commercial to residential to help control future trespass situations and grade crossing safety. They will be published in Q2 2012.
Helping to shape our industry for the good of all CanadiansADVOCACYHelping to shape our industry for the good of all Canadians
facebook.com/opl i fesaver twi t ter.com/opl i fesaver youtube.com/Operat ionLi fesaverCA
Public Rail Safety.
Join the Conversation.
Public Rail Safety.
ANNUAL REPORT 201111
WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2012? 2011 was a fantastic year for Operation Lifesaver and we’re proud of the new and exciting ways we found to share our important message with Canadians. Here are a few of the ways we plan to build upon the last year’s successes in 2012:
• A more modern, user-friendly Database of Operation Lifesaver Information (DOLI) is in the works for 2012. This computer program houses all information pertaining to Operation Lifesaver associates, presenters and tracks and lists all presentations and activities held by OL and our partners. The new program will be web-based and will allow users to view and print reports containing information like where presentations have been done, how many have been done, etc. A beta version is expected in early 2012.
• The current Train to Drive (www.TrainToDrive.net) website is targeted at newly licensed drivers. In 2012, we plan to launch Train to Drive V. 2.0. This new site will incorporate additional information for motor coach and transit drivers, school bus drivers and truck drivers. The site will also undergo a redesign so that it is appropriate for drivers of all ages and demographics.
• One of 2011’s most exciting accomplishments was the launch of the Off the Rails Contest. We are pleased with contest participation and look forward to awarding prizes to the winners during 2012’s Rail Safety Week. Afterwards, we plan to evaluate the contest and based upon our findings, launch a second contest at some point in 2012.
• We are looking forward to another successful Rail Safety Week, scheduled for April 30 - May 6. The theme for 2012 will focus on trespassing with the “These Tracks are for Trains!” message. We will be launching seven new trespassing posters as part of this important event.
• Along with our partners, we look forward to supporting and promoting the fourth annual International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) on June 7. In 2011, more than 40 countries committed around the world, including Canada. For 2012, we plan to issue a number of press releases to garner media attention. Transport Canada will once again mark the event by holding the Atlantic Region Railway Conference in Moncton, New Brunswick.
FUTURE
April 30–May 6, 2012
Look, Listen, & Live
OPERATION LIFESAVER
www.operationlifesaver.ca
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 12
ANNUAL REPORT 201113
TransportCanada
TransportsCanada
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Luc BourdonDirector General , Rai l SafetyTransport CanadaOttawa, ON
Rachel LuiManager Program Design and Integrat ionTransport CanadaOttawa, ON
Stephen CoveyChief of Pol iceCanadian National RailwayMontréal , QC
Raynald MarchandGeneral Manager, ProgramsCanada Safety CouncilOttawa, ON
Paul GoyetteDirector, Publ ic Affai rsThe Railway Association of CanadaOttawa, ON
Ivan McClel landChief of Pol iceCP Police ServiceCalgary, AB
Robert GraySenior Manager, Heal th, Safety & Emergency PreparednessVIA Rail CanadaMontréal , QC
Rob SmithChairman, Ontar io Provincial Legis lat iveTeamsters Canada Rail ConferencePerth, ON
Matt Hol landDirector, Safety & Secur i tyMetrolinxToronto, ON
Dave Spr ingerRegional Traff ic and Marine Manager Ontario Provincial PoliceSmith Fal ls, ON
Mike LowengerVice-President,Operat ions & Regulatory AffairsThe Railway Association of CanadaOttawa, ON
Jean TierneySenior Director, Safety, Secur i ty and Risk ManagementVIA Rail CanadaMontréal , QC