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                45th Anniversary of Operation Lifesaver
      

      

      

      

      

      

      

      
              Tuesday, June 20, 2017
      
              
                  
      
      
              SPEAKER: Heath HallSPEAKER'S TITLE: Senior Advisor to Secretary Chao for RailAUDIENCE:LOCATION: Washington, DCKEYWORDS: Operation Lifesaver, Safety, Train SafetyABSTRACT: Heath Hall, Senior Advisor to Secretary Chao for Rail, delivers remarks for Operation Lifesaver's 45th anniversary event at Union Station in Washington, DC.

**Remarks prepared for**

**Heath Hall Senior Advisor to Secretary Chao for Rail**

**45th Anniversary of Operation Lifesaver**

**Washington, D.C. Union Station**

**Tuesday, June 20, 2017**



Thank you for that very kind introduction.

On behalf of Secretary Chao, I am so proud to be here this evening to join you in celebrating your 45th anniversary.

As you know, Safety is the first and foremost issue on the minds of those that I work with daily at FRA.

There is nothing more important than keeping our industry safe and it should always be our number one priority.

It is also clearly on the minds of all you this evening.

I was so very pleased to see the decrease in accidents and deaths during the past years within the industry and I applaud all of you for your commitment.

State-by-state, I like to think we have forged a partnership where good government, industry and organizations like Operation Lifesaver will forever keep safety top of mind.

My challenge to you this evening is to make the next decade the safest ever and to accept the world of innovation which leads to the technology that has one focus and one focus only: saving lives.

In the 1980’s, we challenged ourselves to bring public awareness to drug use “in just say no” campaigns.  As a result, lives are being saved.

In the 1990’s, we challenged ourselves to bring public awareness to drunk driving.  As a result, lives are being saved.

Now, we (good government, industry and organizations like Operation Lifesaver) must redouble our efforts to promote train safety.  As a result, more lives will be saved.  We should never ask ourselves did we do enough.

This is something that we can do.  This is something that we can do together.

Remember to never under estimate the value that all of you have on saving the lives of our fellow Americans.

Once again, congratulations on 45-years of service and thank you so very much for inviting me to be your guest this evening.



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