Purpose -"To be proactive in identifying and applying solutions to rail safety problems, utilizing funds from available sources, and promoting rail safety and awareness in Medina County"

Medina County Railroad Safety Task Force Members and Former Members:

• Pat Geissman - Medina County Commissioner /Chair
• Charles "Buck" Adams - Director of Emergency Management
• Caesar Carrino - former Wadsworth Mayor & former member of RRSTF
• Lenny Conetsco - former Citizen Member (Railroad Worker at LTV Steel)
• Cory Davies - Ohio State Patrol Lieutenant and former member of RRSTF
• Frank Ehrman - Township Trustees' Representative
• Christina Fozio - Emergency Management Agency
• Lee Geissman - Citizen Member (Retired Railroad Employee - 37 yrs. service)
• Mark Hartman - Highway Engineer's Office Technician
• Neil Hassinger - Medina County Sheriff
• William Koran - Superintendent of Medina County Schools
• David Miller - former County Engineer and former member
• Nino Piccoli - Medina City Service Director
• Charles Potter - Wadsworth City Safety Director
• David Riffer - Citizen Member
• Mike Salay - County Engineer
• Rob Smykal - Citizen Member and Operation Lifesaver Presenter
• Greg Westover - Ohio State Patrol Lieutenant
• Pam Vereb - Recording Secretary

The Medina County Railroad Safety Task Force is to be commended for their hard work and dedication since they formed in July of 2002. Thanks to their efforts, three crossings have brand new gates and lights this year.

CROSSING
Garman Road
Beach Road
Branch Road

Medina County is grateful to Vicky and Dennis Moore, Trustees for The Angels on Track Foundation, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the North American Railway Foundation, and the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad for
paying for the gates and lights.

Three more crossings are in the works for 2006:

CROSSING
Wolff at Columbia
Carlton near Palker
Kennard near Ryan

Commissioner Pat Geissman credits Vickie and Dennis Moore, Trustees for the Angels on Track Foundation, for enlightening her about this great opportunity for Medina County. She heard the Moores speak at a County Commissioners Association meeting about other counties they have helped financially to get gates and lights at dangerous crossings. Their son, Ryan, was killed in a preventable train-car accident at a dangerous unprotected railroad crossing in 1978. The railroad was found guilty of conscious disregard and they were awarded a sizable sum, which they put into a foundation. This wonderful couple is using this money to educate on railroad safety and to put up automated gates and lights to help prevent others from losing loved ones needlessly. 400 people get killed and 1,200 seriously injured at crossings per year, which is more than commercial airline accidents. Medina County was ranked #1 in 2001 and #3 in the state for vehicle/train crashes in 2003.

Other railroad safety issues the Medina County Railroad Safety Task Force has worked on or is working on are:

• They participated in the National "Rally at the Rails Day" (September 21, 2002) at Medina Square to promote rail safety awareness;
• They were instrumental in getting the repairs made to the River Styx trestle;
• They are working with the PUCO on solving the problem of garbage hauling train cars that litter the countryside;
• They applied for and were awarded grant money from the PUCO to clear brush on private property by five local crossings that had sight obstructions;
• They are working with the railroads on solving the problem of excessive blockage of roads by trains;
• They produced a railroad video for "Your Medina County" for cable channels;
• They had speakers that better educated law enforcement how to document accidents, make sure the engineer is tested for alcohol and drugs, look for witnesses, and obtain the event recorder at the accident site - treat it as a potential crime scene;
• They arranged for the county elementary schools to join the Operation Lifesaver School Children's Safety Program;
• And many members of the Task Force took the annual Operation Lifesaver train ride to Canton and back that identified violators and promotes rail safety.
  

Operation Lifesaver Train Ride - May 12, 2004

The Medina County Railroad Safety Task Force will move forward with the next round of evaluations of dangerous crossings and looking into other safety issues for Medina County. Casualties are 5 - 11 times more likely at railroad crossings with crossbucks or stop signs than with automated gates and Medina County still has 45 unprotected crossings. "The squeaky wheel does get the oil"!