PSA-Suicide prevention

[Cobrabill]

About 4 days ago a friend of mine was on a Eastbound passing the depot in Tucson.As he neared the station,a woman ran out and laid down on our right-of-way with her neck across the south rail.You can guess what happened.The numbers say as railroaders,we will kill 7 people in our careers.Grade crossing incidents are bad enough,but suicide by train really does a number on the crew.

Below is a press release issued a couple of days ago.Please pass it around.


Warner Bros urged to take action to prevent rail suicides;
Hotline number should be included on movie, DVD

America's freight railroads have joined with one of the nation's leading
suicide prevention groups in urging Warner Bros. to help prevent suicides on the
railroad tracks. A new movie scheduled for release by the studio today, "Rails
and Ties," portrays the heartbreaking story of a woman who dies by suicide
on railroad tracks.

Tragically, incidents like the one portrayed in the movie occur all too often. The
leading cause of railroad accidents occurs simply because many people don't
understand the inherent dangers of being on or around railroad tracks, including
the fact that it takes a freight train more than a mile to come to a complete stop.

Many of these railroad accidents are, unfortunately, suicide attempts. Jerry Reed,
executive director of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA), notes
that 60 to 90 percent of all suicides are associated with a mental illness and/or
substance use disorder. Sadly, two-thirds of people with mental disorders do not
seek treatment.

"There is a national hotline (1-800-273-TALK) for those who struggle with mental
health concerns," Reed said. "Warner Bros. can provide a great service
to the public by displaying the national suicide hotline phone number as part of
the introduction to the movie now in theaters and as the movie goes to DVD.

"It is also important that the general population know the warning signs of
suicide. If noticed, a friend, family member or coworker can take that person to
a professional who can help."

As demonstrated by the story in "Rails and Ties," rail suicides can leave
families, communities and rail employees devastated by the loss.

"We all have a role to play to support prevention, encourage those who struggle
with mental illness to seek help, and provide support for those left behind after
a suicide occurs," said Edward R. Hamberger, president and CEO of the Association
of American Railroads. "The railroad industry and the suicide prevention community
are working together to reduce the number of suicides not only on the railroads,
but across the nation."

Suicide is a national public health problem that results in 32,000 deaths annually.

"Many suicides are preventable if we all do our part," Reed added. "We
can do that by eliminating barriers for access to care, removing the stigma surrounding
mental health issues, supporting prevention and early detection, and supporting
research and treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders."

1-800-273-TALK is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a 24-hour toll-free
suicide prevention service available to anyone in crisis.

[Ron61]

Bill,

That is sad and has to be really hard on the crew. Here we have a problem with transients sleeping on the tracks and I think about 4 or 5 have been hit and killed by trains in the last couple of years. Normally at night, the tracks where they lay are in very poor light as they are out of town, and the train crew a couple of times never even knew they had hit anyone until contacted later by the police. I can't imagine sleeping on the tracks unless it was for that reason. And we have the usual number of idiots that drive around or in one case through the crossing gates and get hit. Last Summer some man in one of those electric powered wheel chairs got stuck in between the tracks just where they curve and he was killed by a freight train. All so depressing for all involved.

Ron