MPTA hosted its second Educational Series event this past Friday in Kansas City at the KCATA on Safety. KCATA’s Chief Safety Officer Larry Baker and his team presented on their award winning safety program for transit. Baker provided an overview of the KCATA safety program. Chad Stotler, KCATA’s Risk Manager, talked about their distracted driving program, and Randy Hundley, the Public Safety Manager, presented an Active Shooter Training.
KCATA employees log over 10 million miles of driving a year in their work lives. Distracted driving can cause significant issues if the right procedures are not in place. According to Stotler, “Driving distracted is equal to a blood alcohol content of .08.” Stotler said the implications of distracted driving are three-fold: employee safety, safety of others on the road, and liability. KCATA has rules in place with regards to personal electronic devices for all employees. More information on distracted driving programs is available at https://www.distracteddriving.gov/.
During the Active Shooter Preparedness portion of the training, Hundley stressed the importance of having a plan in place and being prepared. Hundley recommended addressing readiness with employees on a regular basis including scheduling trainings periodically. http://www.activeshooter.lasd.org/
The Missouri Public Transit Association Educational Series is a quarterly educational event for MPTA members and transit stakeholders in MO interested in staying up to date on the latest in the industry. Special thanks to KCATA and their staff for their help on organizing the March 3 event.