Florida Operation Lifesaver

About FL OL

What is Florida Operation Lifesaver?

Florida Operation Lifesaver (FL OL) is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings, and trespassing on or near Florida’s 3,857 miles of active railroad tracks.

The program is administered by the Florida Department of Transportation and partners with various state and local government agencies, community organizations, and private companies to convey Operation Lifesaver’s important rail safety message throughout the state.

Together, we promote the three E's - Education, Enforcement and Engineering - to keep people safe around the tracks and railway crossings all across the country.

Why is Florida Operation Lifesaver needed?

Unfortunately, Florida ranks in the top 5 states for Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Collisions. In 2022, there were 117 collisions, 20 deaths, and 51 injuries. Additionally, in America, a person or vehicle is hit by a train roughly every three hours, and that's a reality we are committed to change. Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit rail safety education and public awareness organization dedicated to saving lives. The vision is to be the recognized leader in providing the public with rail safety education and ending death and injuries due to trespassing and collisions on or near the tracks.

For additional information about the program, please contact the Florida State Coordinator, Brian Owens at 850-414-4552 or email at floridaol@dot.state.fl.us.

FL OL Events

We had a fantastic time at the Ancient City Kids Day in St. Augustine on October 26, 2024! Here’s a picture featuring three amazing OLAVs that stood out at our booths.

Rail Safety Week photos at FDOT's District 4 Headquarters.

Rail Safety Week photos at Polk State College on September 25, 2024. Sharing the message with college students in the cafeteria with FDOT coworkers!

On September 7, 2024, Brian Owens (Florida State Coordinator) shared a rail safety presentation with over 500 attendees at Wakulla Library's Take Your Child to the Library Day: Pirate Edition!!

On August 21, 2024, Northeast Florida Regional Coordinator Charlie Myers ("Choo Choo Charlie") and OLAV Richalyn Williams gave an OL Presentation to KIPP Bus Drivers in Jacksonville, Florida.

August 8, 2024. School bus driver training with Brian Owens and Vince Contestabile in Manatee County.

April 20, 2024 - Callahan Railroad Days booth in Callaham, Florida.

On March 2, 2024, Brian Owens (Florida State Coordinator) presented Rail Safety topics at the Wakulla County Library's Dr Seuss Spring Open House & Community Partner Fair. Thank you to the library for hosting a great event and allowing us to spread the word on rail safety!

Southwest Association of Code Enforcement (S.W.A.C.E.) Continuing Education Training Session
February 14, 2024

FL OL Safety Partners

• Florida OL Board of Directors
• Florida Department of Transportation
• Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Florida Highway Patrol
• North Florida Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society
• SunRail
• Amtrak
• Alabama and Gulf Coast Railroad
• AN Railway
• Bay Line Railroad
• Brightline Trains
• CSX Transportation
• International Rail Partners/RailUSA
• First Coast Railroad
• Florida Central/Midland/Northern Railroad
• Florida Gulf and Atlantic Railroad
• Florida East Coast Railway
• Genesee and Wyoming, Inc.
• Norfolk Southern Corporation
• Seminole Gulf Railway
• South Central Florida Express
• US Sugar Corp.
• South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
• Tri-Rail
• Jacksonville Port Terminal Railroad
• Port of Palm Beach
• Port Manatee
• Duke Energy
• Georgia – Pacific
• Orlando Utilities
• Rail America
• AAA Auto Club South

FL OL Statistics

Based on Preliminary 2024 Federal Railroad Administration Statistics
https://data.transportation.gov/stories/s/Highway-Rail-Grade-Crossing-Incidents-Fatalities-a/bda5-32at/

Click here for more information.
https://oli.org/track-statistics

Take the Rail Safety Pledge

Together, we can save lives at railroad crossings and on train tracks. Make your communities safer. Take the Rail Safety Pledge today!

Take the Rail Safety Pledge for Adults: oli.org/pledge/adults

Take the Rail Safety Pledge for Kids: oli.org/pledge/kids

FL OL Board Members

Peggy Smith
Regional Manager Community Affairs and Safety at CSX

With over 25 years of experience at CSX, Ms. Smith has had the opportunity to hold various positions, which has given her a broad perspective on railroad operations. She is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has earned degrees in Transportation and Logistics and Business Management from the University of North Florida.
Since 2012, She has been dedicated to the Community Affairs & Safety role, where she has actively participated in Operation Lifesaver on several state programs. Her involvement includes serving as a Board member, Railroad Investigation and Safety Course instructor, and Authorized Volunteer Coach.

David Dech
Executive Director at South Florida Regional Transportation Authority / Tri-Rail

David Dech is the executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority / Tri-Rail. An executive with 29 years in the rail industry, Dech has management experience in both freight and commuter rail service, including commuter rail operations, field operations, system and division level leadership, leading public-private partnerships, and negotiating and managing contracts with host and tenant railroads. Dech was chosen to oversee the SFRTA at a pivotal time for the agency, as it prepared to expand Tri-Rail service into Downtown Miami; he brings experience in designing, constructing and opening rail yards. David Dech is a self-motivated, self-starter with a willingness to listen to the people who perform the work as the key to the success of any project. He operates with the guiding principle that all people in an organization are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.

Kelli Phillips – Executive Director
Rail Safety and Operations Administrator at Florida Department of Transportation

Kelli started her career with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in 2000, and worked in Administration, Public Information, and Procurement. She accepted a position with the Dis-trict Two Rail Office in 2013, where she served as a liaison between FDOT and eight railroads for all rail projects in Northeast Florida. Time spent in this position well prepared her for her current role at FDOT. In 2022 she accepted a position in Central Office Rail as the Rail Safety and Opera-tions Administrator, where her main focus is rail safety. She is responsible for the Rail Safety In-spection Team (which is made up of 6 railroad inspectors certified by the Florida Railroad Admin-istration) and is involved in many rail safety programs and initiatives, such as the Florida Rail Safety Coalition and the Rail Highway Crossings Program (RHCP). Kelli graduated from the Uni-versity of Florida (cum laude) in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
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Chief Chris Blackmon
Regional Commander at Florida Highway Patrol

With 35 years of service, Chief Chris Blackmon is a Regional Commander overseeing:
Troop C (Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Polk, Pasco, Pinellas)
Troop D (Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia)
Troop K (450-mile Florida Turnpike system)

He also serves as the statewide coordinator for the FHP Auxiliary and Reserve Unit. A dedicated leader, Chief Blackmon continues to enhance traffic safety and law enforcement across Florida.

Tammy McKay
Mechanical Manager at Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services Inc.

Ms. McKay has 21 years of railroad experience in car hire, maintenance of equipment, locomotive fleet utilization, and planning. She is currently the Mechanical Manager at Genesee & Wyoming Inc (G&W), responsible for monitoring and maintaining the locomotive fleet for EPA compliance, fleet availability, maintenance tracking, and manages various capital projects in the Mechanical department. Before G&W, she worked as a car hire specialist at the Florida East Coast Railway and the Director of Locomotives at RailAmerica. Other current industry commitments include being a part of the Railinc FindUs.Rail TAG team as well as being a part of the AAR Locomotive Committee. She became an OLAV in 2015.
Prior to joining the railroad industry in 2004, she worked for various construction companies hired to do shutdown work traveling countrywide for papermills, coal mines and power plants where she worked as an instrumentation fitter, pipe fitter and a journeyman welder.

Matthew Schwerin
Vice President of the Western Region at Regional Rail LLC

Matt Schwerin, Vice President of the Western Region, joined Regional Rail as part of their Pinsly acquisition in 2020, having previously served as General Manager. Prior to that, Mr. Schwerin spent 14 years working for short line railroad operator R.J. Corman as well as CSX where he held various positions including locomotive engineer, trainmaster and manager of operating practices. He has 28 years of railroad operations experience. He is a graduate of Michigan State University’s Railway Management Program.

Ali Soule
VP, Community Relations at Brightline Trains

Robert LeDoux
Senior Vice President at Florida East Coast Railway

Mike Lunsford
Principal and Owner at The Safety Solution