TRAINING
Railroad safety
success in 2018,
thanks to NJSPBA
Words cannot express my gratitude to the NJSPBA
for providing me the platform in NJ Cops Magazine
and the ability to get the safety word out to such a
wide audience of dedicated law enforcement offi-
cers. 2018 has really allowed for a dramatic increase
in interaction between railroad police and our
brothers and sisters in blue throughout New Jersey.
Some of our success has been the increase in di-
THOMAS J. rect training provided to any and all law enforce-
ment officers interested in railroad safety and best
JEDIC
practices when working on or near tracks. Norfolk
Southern Railroad Police, in conjunction with New Jersey Opera-
tion Lifesaver, have made it our goal to get the training, at no cost,
to as many officers as we can. This year, we completed approxi-
mately 10 agencies from all over the state. I was also provided two
training session slots at the John H. Stamler-Union County Police
Academy in 2018, and will do so again in 2019. These classes are
free, four-hour training sessions with video and great interaction
from officers who attend. If your agency has rail assets or is a
neighboring department to a town that does, sign up in 2019. The
dates are available in the academy course guide and usually are
held in May and October. Again, a special thanks to Chief Mason
and Karen Positan of JHS for providing the forum.
But it didn’t end there. We spoke to many school children
through direct assemblies and PTA meetings, and we even provid-
ed direct training to Newark City Public School bus drivers. NSPD
and NJOL set up safety displays at multiple locations throughout
the state as well — fairs, seminars, minor league stadiums, train
stations, train shows and more. We’ve expanded our online pres-
ence, too. Visit NJOL on the web and Facebook to participate, join,
volunteer or just get some helpful info.
Our partners at the national Operation Lifesaver level have also
created a user-friendly website (www.oli.org) rich with helpful vid-
eos and downloads that will benefit your community and provide
great content for your department. Other areas we focused on in
2018 include the Federal Railroad Administration site (www.fra.
dot.gov). But the project we are most proud of is the collaboration
between NJOL and Norfolk Southern Railroad Police in creating
and publishing the information-rich New Jersey Railroad Law En-
forcement Guide. The 40-page booklet was designed to give first
responding law enforcement officers with criminal and motor ve-
hicle statutes direct links to railroads. It also includes vital contact
information for field use and instructions on how to set up and
use the “AskRail” link. This booklet was edited with professional
care by Lisa Tackach of Railroad Construction and printed at no
cost by the NJ Railroad Association, a group of dedicated railroad
professionals who, like me, felt it was important to get these books
into the hands of law enforcement officers throughout New Jersey.
They have begun to be distributed to every agency, free of charge.
So, in keeping with the spirit of the season, take advantage of
some of the statewide trains highlighting Santa and toy delivery,
toy train shows and rail safety. And please think about adding rail-
road safety training for your department, school kids, driver edu-
cation or any street fair or town event. Reach out to me and we will
work together to get it done. Be safe, enjoy the holidays and let’s
get ready for next year.
Special Agent Thomas Jedic is a member of Norfolk Southern Rail-
road Police Special Operations Response Team (SORT) and an exec-
utive board member of NJ Operation Lifesaver.
76
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ DECEMBER 2018