NEW YORK STATE HONORS FIVE ‘PARTNERS FOR SAFETY’
Albany – The New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) today held its fifth annual "Partners for Safety Awards" ceremony, honoring five organizations for voluntary traffic safety programs. "Governor George E. Pataki has made traffic safety a top priority in New York State because he knows that it saves lives," said State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Richard E. Jackson, Jr., chair of the GTSC. "The Partners for Safety awards recognizes corporations, businesses and organizations that have joined in that effort by voluntarily taking steps to prevent highway crashes and injuries, making New York State a safer place to live."
The GTSC started the "Partners for Safety Awards" program five years ago to recognize traffic safety contributions made by non-governmental groups. This year’s Partners for Safety Award recipients are: The Public Safety Group of the Albany Service Lane of CSX Transportation, nominated for voluntary assistance to the New York State "Operation Lifesaver" program, which promotes safety at highway-rail grade crossings and warns of the dangers of trespassing on railroad property. This CSX Public Safety Group, headed by Ed Sheehy in Buffalo, was nominated by Seth Corwin, State Coordinator for New York State Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Corwin praised the ongoing efforts of CSX to increase public awareness of traffic safety. During 1999, CSX personnel conducted 817 safety presentations in schools and service clubs, involving more than 26,000 students and adults. Similar presentations at various fairs, train shows and other safety gatherings helped spread the Operation Lifesaver "Look, Listen and Live" safety message to more than 265,000 people. Albany television station WNYT-TV (Channel 13), nominated by Capital Region SAFE KIDS Coalition Co-Chair Ann Burton for its outstanding assistance in promoting traffic safety awareness. In addition to on-going news coverage of child passenger safety seat issues, WNYT has served for the past year as media sponsor for SAFE KIDS car seat safety checks, conducting live on-site broadcasts and providing numerous free public service announcements. Channel 13 also arranged to have free pagers available for parents awaiting child seat checks. Oswego Hospital, in Oswego, NY, nominated by Oswego County Traffic Safety Board Chairperson Diane Oldenburg for its extensive efforts to provide child safety seat technicians and checkpoints. Over the past year, Oswego Hospital embarked on a program to encourage staff training as Certified Child Safety Seat Technicians and partnered with the County Health Department and Traffic Safety Board to donate child safety seats, sponsor child seat checkpoints and establish a permanent fitting station at the hospital. Chairperson Oldenburg noted that Oswego Hospital’s participation has helped position Oswego County in the forefront of child passenger safety initiatives in Central New York. Sears of Colonie Center, nominated by Peg Warren, Traffic Safety Education Program Director, Albany County Department of Public Works, and Child Passenger Safety Technician Instructor William Van Alstyne, for its exemplary support of traffic safety issues in Albany County. Sears hosted a series of "safety days" last summer, featuring a variety of activities ranging from pedestrian and school bus safety programs to a bicycle rodeo and helmet distribution event. Sears also hosted a series of child safety seat programs; provided classroom facilities for two child passenger safety training programs; a display area for demonstrating and televising proper child safety seat use, and helped Albany County donate child seats to parents who could not afford them. The nomination noted that Dennis Litwak and Laurie Sajan of Sears of Colonie Center deserve special recognition for their efforts in helping to prevent traffic deaths and injuries. United Parcel Service, nominated by Onondaga County STOP-DWI Program Administrator Elizabeth Morgan for its collaborative effort with the Safety Council of Central New York to develop a traffic safety partnership. Aimed at increasing the safety awareness of UPS drivers, employees and their families, this four-year-old partnership uses a grassroots approach toward building a larger network. Employees train co-workers and help sponsor traffic safety awareness programs that deal not only with work-related issues but also with the use of personal vehicles. The five winners were selected from more than 20 nominations across the state. The new Partners for Safety will be engraved on an honor roll plaque displayed at the GTSC headquarters in Albany. Previous recipients include the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety; U.S. Air Force’s 107th and 914th Wings, based in Niagara County; Allstate Insurance; Amtrak; Blythedale Children’s Hospital, in Westchester County; Conrail; CVS Corporation; Delaware and Hudson Railway Police Department; General Electric Plastic’s Selkirk Facility; Midas Muffler and Brake Shops; Nationwide Insurance; New York State Automobile Association; New York State Association for Pupil Transportation; State Farm Insurance; Utica National Insurance Group, and WGRZ-TV News, Buffalo. "We are pleased to recognize these organizations for going the extra mile on behalf of highway safety," Commissioner Jackson said. "We also hope the Partners for Safety program will encourage other groups to actively join in the effort to prevent crashes, save lives and reduce injuries on our highways." The GTSC, New York State’s highway safety office, is comprised of representatives from state agencies that administer highway safety funds and coordinate programs and research to continually improve traffic safety across the state. |
