Keolis Commuter Services Conducts Operation Lifesaver Training for Local Summer Camp
BOSTON – July 18, 2017 – Continuing its outreach into the communities it serves, employees from Keolis Commuter Services (KCS), the MBTA’s partner that operates the commuter rail, volunteered to provide an Operation Lifesaver presentation to the School’s Out! summer program in Beverly. Participants received a safety training and learned the fundamentals of how to use the commuter rail system from buying tickets and passes to reading schedules and boarding properly.
Carlos Caban, a long-time commuter rail conductor for KCS, was on hand in full uniform to explain the importance of staying behind yellow lines at stations and waiting for crossing arms to raise before entering a crossing. Caban also pointed out that entering tracks is considered illegal trespassing on railroad property. He reminded participants that if they “see tracks, think train”.
School’s Out! is a social skills summer program that improves quality of life for youth through real world experiences for participants with social and emotional difficulties.
In addition to train safety, participants learned of the role customer service plays when conductors assist thousands of Boston-area passengers each day. Attendees were also invited to use Caban’s two-way radio and ticket-puncher, and were treated to gift bags that included engineer caps.
“We’re all about using the community as a classroom. It just makes sense that if one desires to become more comfortable being out in the world then out in the world is precisely where the learning needs to occur,” said Schools Out! Program Director and Beverly resident Brian Gordon.
KCS employees in partnership with the MBTA and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) conduct more than a dozen crossing blitzes and safety briefings across the network each year. According to FRA statistics, there were 994 pedestrian rail trespass casualties, fatalities and injuries, in 2016.
Campers wearing train Engineers’ hats and sporting gift bags pose with Keolis Commuter Services employees.
