Page 36 - Operation Lifesaver Estonia / Annual Report 2012

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© Operation Lifesaver is a international, non-profit education and awareness program dedicated to ending
tragic collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on railroad rights of way.
Founded in Estonia on 19 November 2004 - www.ole.ee
Why is rescue related prevention work so important?
The objective of the prevention work in the field of
rescue is shaping Estonia’s living environment so
that everyone would create and value safety and
security. By doing that we can make our lives safer
and people happier. The most important thing for us
is reducing considerably the number of accidents,
people injured or killed in course of such accidents,
as well as the amount of material damage. The years
of experience that we have indicate that the best
results are achieved through continuous prevention
activities.
Unfortunately, accidents happen on a daily basis. We
all hope that they would not happen but often we are
not doing anything to prevent them from happening.
Often such events with tragic consequences start
with small details related to ignorance, negligence,
and absentmindedness or bad habits. Prevention in
the field of rescue is targeted at educating people,
training and advising them in order to change
people’s knowledge, habits and behaviour.
The prevention work done in the field of rescue is not
just pointing fingers,moralising, penalising or telling
saying sounding words. We focus our activities on
the safety of homes and correct behaviour both at
home and outside. We try to achieve our objectives
through advertising campaigns, theoretical
and practical courses organised in schools and
kindergartens, introducing safety issues in school
curricula, creating study materials for different
age groups, involving volunteers, non-profit
organisations, communities, private and public
sector, educating and training of target groups,
nation-wide and cross-border projects, etc.
In a small country like Estonia counts every
contribution and cooperation activity that helps to
prevent accidents, injuries or fatalities. Therefore, I
am particularly glad that the Estonian Rescue Board
and OLE have cooperated already many years for
making Estonia a safer and happier place!
In such a small country as Estonia
counts ever small contribution and
cooperation activity that helps to prevent
accidents and reduce the number of
people injured or killed.
Alo Tammsalu
Estonian Rescue Board, Deputy Director General