Amtrak honored employees with the President’s Service and Safety Awards, the highest recognition given to Amtrak employees.
The awards were given to more than 50 employees during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Those honored from Delaware were:
Bear Shop PA Tester Team:
- Mark Delizio, Senior Electrical Engineer, Operations Department – Mechanical, Wilmington.
- James Mort, Technician-C Full, Operations Department – Mechanical, Bear.
The Bear Shop PA Tester Team, made up of Mort and Delizio, invented a device that enhances the public announcement (PA) system on trains. After several incidents with announcements not being heard throughout trains, James and Mark identified a way to test the systems on Amfleet cars before they are put back into service. Traditionally, PA systems could be tested within an individual car, but it was not possible to test the system’s interaction with other cars in a train.
- Joseph “Joe” Trincia, Car Repairman Grade A, Operations Department – Mechanical, Bear.
Trincia’s invention addressed one of the most common customer complaints about Amtrak trains – bathroom odor. Working with the fabrication team at the Bear facility, he developed a removable, washable exhaust screen that is easy to clean and allows for better air flow and ventilation in the onboard restrooms.
About 20,000 employees work at Amtrak.
