Part 1 ­ Your Information

Year: State: Date:

2015 MN 2016­01­26 11:55:01 Name: PO Box:

Sheryl Cummings PO Box 22254

Minneapolis, MN 55422 Part 2 ­ Your Program

A. List the goals and outcomes for the past year:

ANNUAL SUMMARY Because of our dedicated Board of Directors and expanding group of volunteers, Minnesota Operation Lifesaver is continuing to work towards recognition as the statewide rail safety education organization of Minnesota. MNOL focused on broad outreach and deeper partnership development in 2015. The following highlights some of the activities and objectives achieved by MNOL in 2015 to meet our goals. Thanks to the generous contributions of our railroad and industry partners, the successful receipt of several grant awards, and the dedication of our Board of Directors and Authorized Volunteers, MNOL was able to reach a wide and broad audience in 2015 including general and professional drivers, youth, and safety professionals. Some of the highlights include our partnership with the Minnesota Transportation Museum which brought to us 18 new Authorized Volunteers (and counting), an opportunity to participate in the Minnesota State Fair, the inclusion of Operation Lifesaver in several community events, and exposure to visitors of the museum on a regular basis. The template we used for this relationship was our relationship with the North Shore Scenic Railroad operating out of the Duluth Depot and Lake Superior Railroad Museum. This relationship too, was strengthened this year through a stronger collaboration on events and will continue to grow as we now look to gain volunteers and further deepen our relationship with this partner in 2016. As we continue to gain recognition as the statewide rail safety education organization, our requests to partner with local law enforcement, agencies, and communities has increased. This has included safety camps and other community safety events, as well transit related events, community vehicle days, and more requests from agencies like school bus companies. Also thanks to generous grants in 2015 MNOL was able to leverage outreach on radio and outdoors to get the newest ST3 campaign materials in front of over a million people across the state of Minnesota. Our social media and other outreach efforts continue to grow and our commitment to Operation Lifesaver, Inc and our shared safety message is stronger than ever.

GOAL 1) ESTABLISH RECOGNITION AS THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR EDUCATION ABOUT HIGHWAY­RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY AND TRESPASS PREVENTION IN MINNESOTA • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by continuing to promote the ST3 campaign throughout all of our 2015 initiatives • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by promoting our Rail Crossing Safety Awareness Month proclamation • MNOL was responsive to all media inquiries that enabled us to further spread our safety message including: https://youtu.be/s_DqWd6j8wk and http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/wis­family­chided­batman­themed­photos­train­tracks­article­1.2253857 • MNOL continued doing outreach and raising awareness of the OL safety message through an increase in our special events by over 50% compared to 2014 • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by maintaining an up to date and accurate website and social media presence • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by participating in several community safety camps ensuring that rail safety is an integral part of the overall community safety message • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by attending several Towards Zero Deaths workshops across the state as well as the annual conference acting as a resource and strengthening partnerships • MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by speaking to and attending the Highway­rail grade crossing course via UW­Madison for Metro Transit staff and consultants • MNOL worked to establish recognition as the trusted source for rail safety education by participating in the Great Minnesota Get Together alongside agency partners like MnDOT, MetroTransit, State Patrol and others

GOAL 2) CREATE AND STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS TO PROMOTE OUR MISSION • MNOL continued doing outreach and raising awareness of the OL safety message by improving and increasing our social media presence to include Facebook and Twitter; engaging nearly 60% more followers than in 2014 • MNOL strengthened our volunteer relationships by hosting an Annual Recognition Event; providing recognition for our volunteers and our partners • MNOL created and strengthened our volunteer relationships using the new OLAV system; providing training for 37 new volunteers through 6 training sessions • MNOL created and strengthened relationships by working with our partners to promote rail safety initiatives during Rail Crossing Safety Awareness Month including Metro Transit, BNSF, UP, CP, CN, and the North Shore Scenic railroads • MNOL strengthened its relationship with Operation Lifesaver, Inc by attending the national State Coordinator’s Summit, incorporating the OLI Calendar into the MNOL calendar, submitting our Annual Report accurately and in a timely manner, promoting the oli website and social media outreach, attending the Railway Supply Institute convention, and continuing to promote the ST3 campaign • MNOL strengthened our relationships with railroad and industry partners by supporting their safety outreach efforts, like monthly calls, rail safety weeks and recognizing each of them for the many ways in which they provide support throughout the year • MNOL fostered the incorporation of the OL safety message into the culture of our industry and safety partners by participating in Minnesota Chiefs of Police Training Institute, Towards Zero Deaths workshops, Roadway Safety Institute sessions, meetings with light rail representatives, and more to begin a joint dialog on safety • MNOL partnered with Twin Cities Road Crew to establish relationships and gain access to 5 schools reaching over 2,500 students with an impactful rail safety message • MNOL provided 17 facilitated presentations ­ a 64% increase over 2014 ­, materials, and support reaching 688 new and returning school bus drivers prior to the start of the 2015/2016 school year • MNOL strengthened our partnerships with communities through participation in 6 safety camp events, releasing a joint letter with MnDOT to communities about rail safety and summer events, and attending 4 community Fire Department Safety events • MNOL strengthened our partnerships with organizations like the North Shore Scenic Railroad, the Minnesota Transportation Museum, the 261 and the St. Paul Union Depot by providing supplies, volunteers, and support to include the OL safety message in their various community events • MNOL initiated a partnership with Polaris by co­sponsoring the Stone Arch Bridge Festival, during which rotating stage shows included rail safety games, signatures were solicited for our joint safety pledge banner, and ATV safety brochures were distributed during the event. MNOL was also provided an ATV/rail­safety ad in Minnesota OffRoad Magazine

GOAL 3) CONTINUE TO PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT SAFETY INITIATIVES WITHIN MINNESOTA • MNOL launched a year­long campaign to get people of all ages to pledge to make safer decisions around tracks and trains at Como Zoo’s Noon Year’s Eve event reaching over 1,000 people and collecting several hundred signatures • MNOL promoted key safety awareness events by participating in National Train Day at the St. Paul Union Depot, Minnesota Transportation Museum, and the Duluth Depot • MNOL participated in the Great Minnesota Get Together directly reaching 10,000 while exposing nearly 1.7 million visitors to the ST3 message through distribution of our ST3 fans, keychains, and the presence of the ST3 logo in the daily on­site parade • Thanks to a generous contributions from the FRA and BNSF, MNOL worked to establish recognition as a trusted source for rail safety education by using Radio PSAs to reach over half a million listeners across the entire state during the months of June and July • Thanks to generous contributions from the FRA and BNSF, MNOL partnered with AllOver Media to get the new ‘Can’ PSA in front of nearly a half­million drivers at gas stations in some of Minnesota’s highest incident areas • MNOL promoted key safety awareness events by targeting media outreach around the week of ILCAD incorporating our proclamation of June being Rail Crossing Safety Awareness Month in Minnesota • MNOL participated in and provided supplies for several open house and enforcement efforts on both the Green Line and NorthStar line • Through a generous grant from the FHWA, MNOL developed innovative strategies through which to deliver our safety message by partnering with IntoxBox to expose hundreds of thousands of restaurant and bar patrons to the new ‘Can” PSA on their 100 units from August through the end of the year • MNOL promoted key safety initiatives by reaching out to photographers about the consequences of trespassing on railroad property

GOAL 4) ENSURE PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF STATE PROGRAM • MNOL ensured professional administration of State Program by reviewing and abiding by OLI’s Membership Standards and watching the Getting Legal, Staying Legal module • MNOL accurately tracked and reported all activities including reporting on our ST3 campaign support and results from our FRA and FHWA grant projects • MNOL took advantage of both bonus and administrative fund reimbursement opportunities offered by OLI • MNOL ensured professional administration of the State Program by approving and implementing an updated Bylaws document, instituting regular committee call and scheduling regular meetings of the Board • MNOL successfully secured grant funding to further our partnerships, outreach, and recognition across the state including funding from railroad partner contributions, FRA, FHWA, and in partnership with Metro Transit, FTA grant programs • MNOL ensured professional administration of the State Program by attending the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Finance Conference and other nonprofit trainings

CONCLUSION The partnerships, funding opportunities, and volunteer involvement that MNOL received in 2015 helped us to reach an unprecedented number of people across the state of Minnesota. The targeted outreach we achieved, the relationships we developed, and the recognition we received was invaluable and will help us to continue to impact minds and save lives in 2016 and beyond. We want to thank all of our partners in safety for their efforts to help us reduce collisions, deaths, and injuries at highway­rail grade crossings and on railroad property in 2015.

B. Who are your state's PARTNERS in grade crossing safety and trespass prevention? This would include anyone who has contributed presenters or Volunteers, trainers or Coaches, Board Members, members, funds and in­kind contributions. Please be as specific as possible: AllOver Media BNSF Railway Company Canadian National Railway Canadian Pacific Railway Elite Promotions Federal Railroad Administration Federal Highway Administration IntoxBox KEYC12­ Mankato Metro Transit Minnesota Commercial Railway Minnesota Dakota & Western Railway/Boise Cascade Minnesota Department of Transportation Minnesota Limited, LLC Minnesota Northern Railroad & St. Croix Valley Minnesota Radio News Network Minnesota Regional Railroads Association Minnesota Safety Council Minnesota Southern Railway Minnesota Transportation Museum Moorhead Police Department North Shore Scenic Railroad Northern Plains Railroad Northstar Commuter Rail Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Otter Tail Valley Railroad Polaris Progressive Rail, Inc Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, Inc. RightWay Driving School SRF Consulting Twin Cities Road Crew Twin Cities & Western Railroad & Minnesota Prairie Line Union Pacific Railroad

C. Which of these partners financially support your state program? BNSF Railway Company Canadian National Railway Canadian Pacific Railway Federal Railroad Administration Federal Highway Administration Minnesota Commercial Railway Minnesota Dakota & Western Railway/Boise Cascade Minnesota Northern Railroad & St. Croix Valley Minnesota Regional Railroads Association Minnesota Southern Railway North Shore Scenic Railroad Northern Plains Railroad Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Progressive Rail Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad, Inc. Twin Cities & Western Railroad & Minnesota Prairie Line Union Pacific Railroad

D. What are the top five rail safety problems in your state? Please supply any details, statistics or links demonstrating the issue:

1) Increased ridership and Pedestrian Distractions around Light Rail lines in Metro area: After a full year of 2 LRT lines officially open and 2 extensions in the planning process it is clear that residents and visitors to the Metropolitan Minneapolis /St. Paul are experiencing a situation very much in need of increased rail safety awareness. “The bicyclist struck and killed Friday morning by a Blue Line train near a busy south Minneapolis intersection was injured at that same station a few months before and had warned others on social media about staying alert.” “McCormick’s death was the second light­rail fatality in two days and the third such incident in a week.” http://www.startribune.com/bicyclist­killed­by­blue­line­train­was­29­year­old­minneapolis­man/361669771/ “The only thing I can think of is she was just distracted. She’s very safety conscious,” http://www.twincities.com/2015/04/30/pedestrian­killed­in­green­line­accident­was­very­ safety­conscious/ “To date, there have been 107 crashes involving pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles on the Blue Line, which has been running along Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis since 2004. There have been 60 on the Green Line, which runs between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and largely along University Avenue, since service began in June 2014.” http://www.startribune.com/recent­fatal­crashes­raise­concern­about­light­rail­safety­in­twin­cities/363508481/

2) Increase in incidents involving Trucks/large vehicles: Per reports from the FRA three year average, over a third of Minnesota’s highway­rail incidents involve a truck or truck­trailer vehicle.* The most difficult aspect of this problem is finding out the cause. Contacts have been made at MTA and other companies – all of whom have high educational and safety standards and no incidents with trains on record. Yet, incidents continue to occur involving semi­trucks, snowplows (mostly private), and agricultural vehicles; in addition to a disproportionate number of “near­miss” reports involving box style trucks and other large vehicles, presumably being driven by "professionals." Our goal is to speak to more companies with drivers and fleets this year, but also to expand our reach to insurance companies, technical colleges, and other places that would enable us to reach drivers of large trucks and other large vehicles. “The Scott County Sheriff’s Office says the truck driver stopped at the crossing then drove onto the tracks.” http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/05/19/train­truck­collision­near­ new­prague/ “An agricultural sprayer was hit by a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train Monday morning” http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/breaking_news/man­injured­in­sprayer­train­ collision/image_b57f8524­f26b­11e4­9a2a­c363ad017dc6.html “Authorities on the scene confirm to KIMT News 3 that the semi tanker typically hauls anhydrous ammonia, but was empty at the time of the crash. No serious injuries are reported.” http://kimt.com/2015/04/06/train­hits­semi/

3) Oil Traffic moving through the state from North Dakota has garnered much attention from the government, the media, and the public and continues to dominate the discussion anytime the topic of “rail safety” comes up. High profile incidents like the one below also double as proof of the growing need for us to address the safety and behavior of drivers of trucks and other large vehicles considering their potential for exponentially increasing the seriousness of a collision. “Dayton used the accident to highlight his request for more funding for rail safety. It was discussed during the recent legislative session, but not acted upon.” https://www.minnpost.com/political­agenda/2015/06/after­train­truck­crash­st­paul­park­gov­dayton­pushes­more­rail­safety­fun “A collision between an oil train and a semi truck in a southeast metro suburb Sunday afternoon didn’t cause any injuries, but raised anew some urgent questions about rail safety in Minnesota.” http://bringmethenews.com/2015/06/07/oil­train­truck­accident­spills­only­flour­but­raises­rail­safety­concerns/ “Emergency responders and local, state and federal politicians all spent significant time this year talking about­­and fretting over­­railroad safety.” http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/in­review­derailments­oil­tankers­and­more­top­rail­safety/collection_d9721dbe­9c04­502e­83e8­3d5c83ec842e.html

4) Driver Behavior across the state: Although reported train traffic may be lower in 2015 than in recent years, many drivers have developed an unhealthy attitude towards the ‘inconvenience’ of the thousands of at­grade crossings across the state. “As train traffic hassles mount, Moorhead seeks solutions, money” “If you live or work in Moorhead, you build train time into your schedule. City engineer Bob Zimmerman lives it. His office is located between two train tracks. He spends a lot of time waiting. "When I drive through downtown, invariably you're going to end up at a signal somewhere with a train more than half the time," he said. "It's very interesting to watch what happens." Zimmerman sees drivers cut through traffic and zip across parking lots to beat traffic jams. The result is a disproportionate number of accidents at downtown intersections. "People are taking chances they shouldn't be or they're not obeying a signal that they should be," he said. "I'm not blaming anyone, it's just frustration." The frustration is only worsening as train traffic jumps. The region's largest carrier, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, reports traffic out of North Dakota is up 144 percent in the past five years. Much of that traffic flows through Minnesota.” (2014 data) http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/10/29/moorhead­train­traffic­hassles “There is a stop sign at the grade crossing for vehicle traffic, and signs warning drivers of the railroad crossing.” http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/3761758­two­injured­ train­car­collision­minnesota­railroad­crossing “Bergquist said the crossing arms at the stop were down and there appeared to be damage to one of the arms.” “Other crossings nearby don’t have crossing arms, and Klinger said a lot of people just blow through stop signs at those crossings.” http://www.inforum.com/news/3756242­driver­killed­fiery­vehicle­train­crash­south­moorhead “The driver tried to make a right turn, went through stop lights and was hit by the train. Police say this crash likely could have been avoided.” http://www.inforum.com/news/3801071­car­train­collide­moorhead

5) Driver education around traffic controls along Light Rail lines in Metro area: And driver behavior is also an issue of particular concern in the Metropolitan area as the incidents along the Blue and Green LRT lines increase weekly. According to Metro Transit, the number one cause of vehicle­train collisions along the 9 miles of the Green Line involve vehicles turning left in front of oncoming or into the side of passing trains despite the traffic control and warning devices that are currently in place. The concentration of traffic, people, distractions, new signals and more than likely impatience; seem to be compounded by the newness of the tracks, particularly on the Green Line. “A St. Paul police officer caused a collision between his squad car and a Green Line train last month when he ran a red light” http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/16/green­ line­collision

(*based on the FRA’s most recent 3­year comparison data)

E. Which do you consider to be your state's leading rail safety problem? Both

F. Where are your state's biggest trespass problems located?

LRT Lines in Minneapolis and St. Paul: By their very nature they invite people onto the station platforms (where distractions really have proven to be a deadly combination), but trespassing to get from one side of the tracks to the other and using the tracks as a shortcut are both huge problems facing our partner, Metro Transit.

Metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul area in general ­ top 3 counties with highest trespass casualty rates are in the 7 county metro area and approximately 60% of Minnesota’s population resides in the greater Minneapolis­St. Paul area.

St. Louis County – the largest county in the state by size but with one of the smaller population densities outside of the Duluth/Superior area: It is the only county outside of the metro area in our top counties for trespasser casualties.

Statewide – many locations both rural and those in proximity to metropolitan areas, have seen an increase in trespassing for recreational use this winter, particularly with snowmobiles. G. What age/demographic group(s) do you focus on in your trespass preventions activities?

We focus our trespass prevention efforts on community events that typically give us access to youth, but also their parents and other family members. Youth through age 30 is our general focus and all audiences in general. *Highest trespass casualty rates occur in the 26­35 demographic followed closely by 16­20 and 51­55 with 11­15 rounding out our target audience with all other age groups representing 5% or less of the incidents.

H. Is your state involved in Community Partnerships? (Typically this involves the mayor's office / city government, plus police, schools, business, etc, in a neighborhood or community) When do you use Community Partnerships? Both

I. If you are involved in Community Partnerships, how many?

9 Please list communities involved.

Eden Prairie Elk River Big Lake Coon Rapids New Hope Chaska Fridley Moorhead South Saint Paul We annually request a proclamation month of our Governor's Office to further promote awareness for our safety message Part 3 ­ Volunteer Overview

A. Volunteer Resources

1. How many volunteers reported two or more presentations or activities during the past year? 32

2. How many volunteers in your state didn't report activities during the past year?

35 B. Volunteer Statistics

1. How many new volunteers were added in your state during the past year?

41 2. Where did you find new volunteers?

We continue to welcome volunteers from our traditional outlets including railroad employees of all vocations as well as recently retired railroad employees. We strengthened a partnership with the Minnesota Transportation Museum this year including attending the Minnesota State Fair at a joint booth which enticed 18 of their volunteers to take the OLAV training and join our team as well. We also invited a small number of new volunteers in the past 2 years through word of mouth ­ family members with flexible work hours, recently retired individuals with connections to the rail industry, and both current and retired law enforcement with an interest in the industry. C. Volunteer Attrition Information

Reason Number of Volunteers Leaving

Job Change 1

Retired 0

Moved 0

Lost Interest 0

Deceased 0

Unknown 0

Total 1

D. Volunteer Recognition Activities

Does your state program have a way of showing appreciation to volunteers?

Appreciation Event E. Volunteer Meetings

Do you hold state volunteer meetings for training updates, idea sharing, networking?

Yes Part 4 ­ Presentation and Activity Statistics ­ Old Dashboard

Category Total Number of Total Number Presentations of Participants

K thru Grade 8 0 0

General High School (includes school assemblies and non­drivers­ed classes) 0 0

All drivers education (both high school drivers ed classes and adult drivers ed classes) 1 22

School Bus Drivers (Note: 4­hour school bus driver courses should not be reported here. Report those 0 0 ONLY in the specialized training section below, please, so we avoid double counting).

Other professional drivers: Truckers 0 0

Other professional drivers: Commercial Buses 2 11 Law Enforcement (Note: GCCI 4­,8­, and 16­hour courses should not be reported here. Report those ONLY 0 0 in the specialized training section below, please, so we avoid double counting).

Emergency responders: Fire Fighters 0 0

Misc general adult (Civic Groups, Clubs, Mature Drivers, etc) 0 0

Pre­K Headstart 0 0

Snowmobile 0 0

Totals 3 33

Part 5 ­ Special Training (Non­Presentation) Statistics ­ Old Dashboard

This section counts specialize classes for target special groups.

Category Total Number of Classes Total Number of Participants

School Bus Driver Trainer Classes (Four Hour Courses ONLY) 0 0

Driver Ed Trainer 0 0

GCCI 4 Hour 0 0

GCCI 8 Hour 0 0

GCCI 16 Hour 0 0

RSER (Four Hour Courses ONLY) 1 20

Other 0 0

Totals 1 20

Part 6 ­ Special Events Statistics ­ Old Dashboard

This section counts special OL events and other activity in which your state participated.

Event / Activity Type Total Number of Events Total Number of Contacts

Mock / Staged Crash 0 0

State / County Fair Exhibits / Booths 0 0

Farm Show Exhibit 0 0

Model Railroad Exhibit 0 0

Community Safety Blitz 0 0

Officer on the Train 0 0

General OL Train 0 0 Positive Enforcement Program 0 0

School Bus Rodeos 0 0

Trucking Rodeos 0 0

Other 0 0

Totals 0 0

Part 7 ­ Presentation and Activity Statistics – OLAV Community

Audience Number of Activities Total Number in Audience

Pre­K/Headstart 6 277

K­8 Students 27 1082

General High School 2 94

Driver Education 85 2079

School Bus Drivers 31 993

Professional Drivers 23 374

Law Enforcement 0 0

Firefighters 0 0

General Adult 17 1763

Totals 191 6662

Part 8 ­ Volunteer Hours Statistics – OLAV Community

Audience Hours

Mock/Staged Crash 0

State/County Fair Exhibits/Booths 215

Farm Show Exhibit 8

Model Railroad Exhibit 0

Other Conference Exhibits 106

Community Safety Blitz 28

Officer On The Train 17

General OL Train 22 Positive Enforcement Program 8

School Bus Rodeo 0

Trucking Rodeo 0

Administrative 16

Travel time 9

Preparing for a Presentation 9

Other 71

Total 507

Part 9 ­ Training Statistics – OLAV Community

Training Type # in Audience

Face­to­Face 39

Total 138

Part 10 ­ Special Event Statistics – OLAV Community

Audience Number Reached

Mock / Staged Crash 0

State/County Fair Exhibits/Booths 12550

Farm Show Exhibit 0

Model Railroad Exhibit 100

Other Conference Exhibits 1065

Community Safety Blitz 1000

Officer on the Train 0

General OL Train 200

Positive Enforcement 0

School Bus Rodeo 0

Trucking Rodeo 0

Other 10757

Totals 25672 Part 11 ­ Public Awareness Report Statistics – OLAV Community

Website Statistics:

Reporting Period Pageviews Visitors

Q1 0 0

Q2 0 0

Q3 0 0

Q4 2065 1494

Paid Advertising and Media Information:

Type of awareness campaigns: Notes

PSA, TV ads (broadcast/cable), Radio ads, Print, This year MNOL paid for radio ads on the Radio News Network airing 42 PSAs on 66 stations spread across the Internet state during the months of June and July. 40 PSAs were also run on KKWB and KSKK in the Staples/Wadena/Brainerd areas at the end of May and through June Although MNOL did not have the funding to run the new 'Can' VPSA on broadcast television, we partnered with IntoxBox to have the 15 second version aired on most of the 100+­ units they had running in the state from August through the end of the year. The PSAs were aired on all locations as many as 1 million times per month depending on how many units it was on at any given time. The 'Can' VPSA was aired at no charge on KEYC ­ a station in the Mankato area after it was distributed there by OLI As part of a community event partnership we were provided with a 1/4 page color ad in MN Off Road Magazine with 30,000 subscribers about the importance of ATV safety around tracks and trains. Also as part of the same community event partnership the MNOL name and/or logo appeared in 3 different locations on the event website as a partner and sponsor, at least one of which was hyperlinked back to our website. http://www.stonearchbridgefestival.com/activities/family­activities/ Another form of "printed" advertising that was done in MN this year included gas pump posters (along with storefront window clings and pump handle toppers in some locations) at 10 target locations featuring the still from the new 'Can' VPSA. These were up during the months of June and July. Media coverage Notes

TV, Print, Internet, Quote in news story While we still have a lot of work to do to develop our own relationships with media contacts across the state, MNOL was able to achieve a good amount of media coverage in 2015 including:

Mary Kline with Government Television Network did a 3 minute safety piece including a ride­along, ED interview, presentation and b­roll footage. It can be found here [https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=s_DqWd6j8wk&list=PLO78UGGP3_x30nAkhFgNY0ZPs2NTptiY9&index=14]

In the spring we teamed up with MnDOT to write an open letter to cities and coordinators of community events throughout the state. Our league of MN cities was able to include some of our key points in their quarterly magazine however, were unable to provide us with their full contact list for all of the cities in the state (without purchase) so the letter in its entirety was submitted as an editorial and picked up in a few publications. It can be seen here [http://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/3762901­mndot­operation­lifesaver­work­reduce­rail­crossing­ fatalities­injuries]

In June we also announced that Governor Dayton's office had accepted our request for the month of June to be proclaimed the 2nd annual Rail Crossing Safety Awareness Month. It was covered in a handful of print media outlets including here [http://www.albertleatribune.com/2015/06/june­is­rail­crossing­safety­awareness­month/] here [http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/iron­range/MnDOT­Operation­Lifesaver­urge­safety­at­rail­ crossings­306519841.html] and via FOX21/KQDS] and here [http://www.fox21online.com/news/local­news/June­ Marks­Rail­Crossing­Safety­Awareness­Month/33466256? fb_action_ids=707102189395106&fb_action_types=og.comments]

At the beginning of June when we were making efforts to activate and engage with our social media audiences leading up to and celebrating ILCAD, a disturbing group of photos featuring someone dressed as Batman went viral. As a general approach in many instances like these, the ED of MNOL reached out to the photographer with a gentle message about the dangers of taking photos on the tracks encouraging him to check out OLI's tips for photographers on their website. Perhaps because this was one of the only respectful comments the photographer received, MNOL was tracked down and contacted by a reporter from the New York Daily Times who included our comments and plea for the consideration of safety in future situations. The initial story is here [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/wis­family­chided­batman­themed­photos­train­tracks­article­ 1.2253857] Additional stories took information from the NYDN including the Chicagoist [http://chicagoist.com/2015/06/10/wisconsin_familys_batman­themed_pho.php] and FOX5 in San Diego [https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome­instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF­ 8#q=San+Francisco+batman+on+the+tracks] Follow­up on this story continued into the fall when ABC's Nightline did an in­depth piece on train­track photography which included a brief interview with the clients of the 'batman' photos who admitted that now that they know the dangers they would not choose to do something like what they had done again. It is here [https://s.abcnews.com/Nightline/video/dangers­taking­photos­train­tracks­34539421? tab=9482931§ion=4765066]

In July, the Coon Rapids Safety Camp (one of several we participated in in 2015) was covered by CTN local news ­ watch a few seconds of Allison at her best here [https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9FLDSMZTSZY&feature=youtu.be&t=3m17s]

At the end of July Thomas the Tank engine came to Duluth and the North Shore of MN. We spoke with several thousand kids and their parents at our booth inside the two weekend/6 day event and we also got an interview on KBJR6 stressing the importance of making safe decisions around tracks and trains; considering St. Louis County ranks 2nd highest for vehicle­train collisions in the state. The interview was aired 3 times over the course of that weekend and viewed by over 20,000 households according to OLI's media monitoring system!

The month of December began with an unfortunate string of incidents along the LRT lines in the metropolitan area. Coincidentally, MNOL had a booth as a part of the 2 weekend/8 day North Pole Express event at the St. Paul Union Depot. One television news outlet saw the importance of including our message of safety amongst the jollieness of the season. It can be found here [http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/06/kids­see­santa­learn­train­ safety­at­operation­lifesaver­event/]

As mentioned, December began, and continued, with an unfortunate streak of incidents along the LRT lines operated by Metro Transit. As an unfortunate coincidence, the FTA grant awarded to Metro Transit by Operation Lifesaver had recently been announced and the projects Metro Transit had been working on with MNOL seemed coincidentally timed… The coverage of the initial grant project announcement is here [http://finance­ commerce.com/2015/12/metro­transit­to­review­safety­procedures­equipment/] Follow up included insight from MNOL directly and describes the project plans in more detail here [http://finance­commerce.com/transit/tag/safety/]

Radio / TV Audience Numbers News Website Numbers (unique visitors/mo) Print Circulation Numbers 0 0 0 Social Media Information:

Reporting Period Followers

Q1 262

Q2 367

Q3 392

Q4 460

Social Media Notes

Facebook, Twitter In general our Twitter following seems to grow at a much faster pace than our Facebook following. We have not utilized any Facebook or Twitter advertising. When attempting to keep up with daily and weekly tasks, not the least of which coordinating, scheduling, and attending formal presentations, it is difficult to keep up with social media as often as I would like to make it effective. I'm still struggling with access to our Facebook 'pages' feed on any device other than the laptop. This makes it less convenient to be 'social' as it limits my access and insight into what other programs and pages are doing, putting out there, and talking about. A question that comes up annually with MNOL leadership is: what do we feel comfortable sharing on social media and how often, and what can and will set us apart from all of the other state OL and OLI pages? Obviously, our following continues to grow despite this, but having access to resources and suggestions on better managing this aspect of our outreach would be very helpful. Text of any notable posts Links to important social media posts Applicable Hashtags

Any Additional Comments Not enough data obtainable to report Radio / TV Audience Numbers, News Website Numbers (unique visitors/mo), and Print Circulation Numbers. I find that GoogleAlerts help me feel like I'm not completely ignorant of what's going on in my state and around the country, but it is not as timely, thorough, or accurate as one would like. I do not have the contacts, resources, or relationships needed to track down the actual viewership or listeners for any particular news coverage. I've struggled to get media outlets to give me actual numbers (versus their estimates and averages) for even paid spots that we've worked with them on. Part 12 ­ Facts About Your Program

For emergency use only, in the space provided, may we please have your home address, telephone number, and cell phone number? Home/package mailing address: 4901 Drake Road Golden Valley, MN 55422

Mobile # (OL #): 651­328­3259

Home/landline: 763­208­6753 (typically you will have to leave a message)

Do you have an assistant coordinator / co­coordinator or regional/area coordinator(s)?

No If the State Coordinator is not available to speak to the media, is there an approved alternate spokesperson for your state program who may speak to the media?

No

Is your state program incorporated as an independent, non­profit, tax­exempt 501(c)(3) educational organization? Yes

When did you last check to see if your incorporation When did you last file a tax return for your state When was your state program last audit or filing is up to date? program? compilation?

1/29/2016 June 1, 2015 June 1, 2015 Does your state program have bylaws? When were they last updated?

Yes 4­14­2015

How often does your state board or governing body meet during the year? quarterly

Does your state program operate on a quarterly Please check the correct category to identify your general budget for the year

50,001 ­ 75,000 Where does your financial budget come from? Please list your major sources and approximate pecentage received from each

The majority (94%) of our dependable operating budget continues to come from our railroad partners. We do receive a small contribution each year from the Minnesota Regional Railroads Association. The remainder of funds to the MNOL program for 2015 were all in the form of project­specific grants.

List significant "in­kind" services and estimated value in dollars that you received from your partners and contributors. BNSF: Approximately $10,000 for use of training/meeting space, supplies and support for many activities and events, travel/lodging for activities and events, raffle and volunteer rewards, reimbursement for a special radio PSA opportunity, support for general Board member activities

Union Pacific: Approximately $6,000 for use of training space, supplies and support for activities and events including the MN State Fair, travel for activities and events, raffle and volunteer rewards, support for general Board member activities

FRA: Approximately $5,000 for use of conference call line, supplies and support for activities and events, travel/lodging for activities and events, raffle and volunteer rewards, support for general Board member activities

Twin Cities & Western Railroad: Approximately $1,000 for supplies and support for activities and events, travel for activities and events, raffle and volunteer rewards, support for general Board member activities

SRF Consulting: Approximately $700 for use of meeting space and support for general Board member activities

Minnesota Safety Council: Approximately $500 for use of meeting/training space, website hosting and maintenance, general support and resources, and support for general Board member activities

Board of Directors / Executive Commitee / Governing Body (you may enter their names, addresses, and contact information here or submit separately by email or fax by uploading files in PDF format)

President Holli M. Schafer, Manager Revenue Accounting Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company 2925 12th Street East Glencoe, Minnesota 55336 Phone: 320­864­7203 Fax: 320­864­7205 [email protected]

Vice President Allison Terrell BNSF Railway 80 44th Ave N.E. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55421 Phone: 612­590­2193 [email protected]

Secretary Timothy J. Spencer, Manager, Rail Planning and Program Development Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations Minnesota Department of Transportation 395 John Ireland Blvd., Mailstop 470 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 Phone: 651­366­3702 Fax: 651­366­3720 [email protected]

Treasurer Jamie Lukehart UPRR Senior Claims Representative 206 Eaton St. Saint Paul, MN 55107 Phone: 651­552­3929 Fax: 402­997­3763 [email protected]

? Erin Petersen, Coordinator, Family Safety Programs Minnesota Safety Council 474 Concordia Ave. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55103­2430 Phone: 651­228­7314 Fax: 651­291­7584 [email protected]

Andrew Mielke, AICP, Senior Associate SRF Consulting Group, Inc. One Carlson Parkway North #150 Minneapolis, MN 55447­4443 Phone: 763­249­6776 [email protected]

Tammy Wagner, Reg. Crossing and Trespasser Manager U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration 200 West Adams Suite 310 Chicago, Illinois 60606 Phone: 312­353­6203 Fax: 312­886­9634 [email protected]

Does your state program publish a newsletter? How often? No

Does your state program publish an e­newsletter? How often?

Yes other With my addition to the organization we began a monthly newsletter however, the open (and response) rate was so incredibly low that it was decided that important information be sent out on an as­needed basis to the audiences that needed to see it. We still send out an occasional newsletter with general information and updates to a larger portion of our contacts, but it is probably less than a half­dozen times per year. Please list up to five major events your state program participated in or planned this last year? You may upload or provide links to photos from these events or pdfs of materials produced for these events.

National Train Day was hosted in 3 different locations in Minnesota in 2015. MNOL had a booth at the North Shore Scenic Railroad’s celebration at the Duluth Depot, a booth at the celebration with Amtrak at the St. Paul Union Depot, and one at the Minnesota Transportation Museum who was also coordinating complimentary bus service between the St. Paul Union Depot, the James J. Hill House Museum, and their own Jackson Street Roundhouse location. Eight volunteers successfully shared the Operation Lifesaver safety message with at least 3,000 people across the state over the course of the weekend.

Our presence at the Stone Arch Bridge Festival was thanks to a partnership with the Twin Cities Road Crew and enhanced by our partnership with Polaris for this specific event. The 2 day festival allowed us to speak to nearly 2,000 people and featured our rail safety messages, trivia, and games on stage as well as games and a pledge banner at our booth in addition to MNOL being recognized as a major sponsor of the event on the event website. Photo montage attached.

A Day Out with Thomas on the North Shore Scenic Railroad in 2015 had the biggest turnout ever with over 20,000 attendees. Over the 6 day event nearly 4,000 of them stopped by the MNOL booth to play safety trivia and take home safety items. We were also able to get one of the local news affiliates to come out for a brief interview that was aired 3 times over the course of the first weekend of events with a total of over 20,000 viewers according to OLI’s media monitoring system.

For the first time in many years, MNOL had a booth in the Education Building at the Minnesota State Fair with just shy of 1.8 million attendees in 2015. Thanks to a joint effort with the Minnesota Transportation museum over 2 dozen volunteers were able to speak to an estimated 10,000 visitors over the 12 day event. The MTM brought their new locomotive simulator, decked out in ST3 logo and color scheme featuring a 2 minute run time simulation of the length of time it takes a typical freight train to come to a complete stop when confronted with a potential grade crossing collision. Our partners BNSF and UP also assisted with supplies and volunteers helping to make it a successful event and one we could not have pulled off alone. Photo montage attached.

The second annual North Pole Express event invited MNOL to have a booth and speak to hundreds of kids and their families before and after their special trip to visit Santa at the St. Paul Union Depot. While our volunteer resources were stretched thin by the end of the year, the Friends of the 261 volunteers were a huge help in making sure that we were able to maximize every hour that we were able to be there to visit with people. We also were also fortunate enough to capitalize on the event to get a spot on WCCO News talking about why it is so important to include rail safety in events like this. Link to piece: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/06/kids­see­santa­learn­train­safety­at­ operation­lifesaver­event/ File attached to form: 2015 Events Images.docx [http://oli.org/community/uploads/render/56]

Please note in the field below any events planned for next year that you would like for us to know about or put on the OL calendar.

There are several audiences to which we anticipate continued growth in presentation requests in 2016 including School bus drivers and community safety camps. We already have presentations on our calendar for over 300 school bus drivers and most of the companies we've worked with in the past don't have us out until spring or even fall. The safety camps typically involve 75­150 youth and are put on and hosted by community leaders including the police and fire departments jointly in most cases. These events not only help us to strengthen our relationship with those law enforcement, first responder, and community partners, but they also enable us to bring in our partners in the railroad industry by providing a co­branded pledge banner for each event in communities where they may have tracks or see as a community where there is a greater need for rail safety education. We already have 3 on our calendar and anticipate at least tripling that by the end of the year.

Other events that we intend to participate in in 2016 (at this time) include: Speaking engagement at the annual professional surveyors conference put on by MnDOT in March An anniversary celebration (and continuation of the tradition of National Train Day) for the St. Paul Union Depot in conjunction with a number of our partners including the Friends of the 261 and the Minnesota Transportation Museum. April 30 and May 1st Continued participation (as scheduling permits) in the Towards Zero Deaths regional workshops and Annual Conference (spring thru fall) Day Out with Thomas on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. August 5­7 and 12­14. Annual Meeting and Recognition event for Minnesota OL volunteers and partners (date TBD, late September or early October) Participation in 2016 MN State Fair yet TBD, August 25th­September 5th. Possible region­focused rail safety week (or similar) TBD, but potentially September. Increased public awareness and enforcement efforts with our railroad partners ­ including Metro Transit ­ throughout the year. Questions / Comments: Please list in the field below any comments or questions you have on how Operation Lifesaver, Inc. can assist the state programs.

Those who have remained dedicated to the MNOL program through the past several years of changes along with the many new additions that have become great assets to our team during that time are truly amazing people. It will be their combined dedication and the continued generosity of our financial partners that will ensure we continue to grow and prosper as an organization for the years to come.

Copyright 2014 Operation Lifesaver, Inc. All rights reserved. Educational use only permitted. No part of these materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means for any commercial purpose without permission in writing from Operation Lifesaver, Inc.