ASPCA's Guide to Pet Sitters

Working as a train conductor for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Gary Garbrandt assumes responsibility for relaying and receiving information between other conductors and train stations while also maintaining compliance with regulations, signals, and train orders. Outside of his career, Gary Garbrandt supports the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). 

As part of their continued effort to keep pets safe, the ASPCA has written a guide for traveling pet owners to help them find a good pet sitter and ensure things go smoothly while they are away. The guide can be broken down into these three segments. 

1. Contact - First and foremost, ensure your pet sitter always has a way of contacting you, should an emergency occur. One of the easiest ways to do this is to provide your pet sitter with an itinerary for your trip, listing where you will be, when you will be available, and how to contact you. Additionally, provide the pet sitter with emergency contact information for friends or family you trust to handle a pet emergency in your absence. 

2. Information - Give your pet sitter a detailed list that includes your pet’s age, weight, medications, dietary information, and medical conditions. Include your pet’s current veterinarian and his or her contact information, as well as the location of the nearest emergency clinic. 

3. Instruction - Tell your pet sitter about your pet’s daily routine. Let him or her know how often and how much you feed your pet to avoid overfeeding or underfeeding. For shy pets, alert your pet sitter to the animal’s favorite hiding spots so the sitter can keep a better eye on them. Create a plan of action to let your pet sitter know exactly what you want him or her to do should an emergency occur.

How to Read Three-Light Railroad Signals

A former first sergeant with the US Marine Corps, Gary Garbrandt now works as a conductor for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. In this capacity, he helps train crews connect cars, promotes the safety of bystanders and passengers, and inspects train equipment. Gary Garbrandt is also responsible for ensuring trains comply with railroad signals.

Railroad signals are often seen with three colored lights showing red, green, or yellow. When looking at these signals, each light governs a specific route. In most cases, the top light is the high-speed route that allows trains to travel at speeds above 45 miles per hour. High-speed routes are often straight ahead and do not require trains to go through any switches.

Meanwhile, the middle light governs the medium-speed route, which allows speeds of around 30 miles per hour, and the bottom light governs the slow-speed route. This latter route only allows speeds of up to 15 miles per hour.

When on a three-light signal, green means trains can proceed as normal because the tracks are clear for at least two blocks past the signal. Yellow means trains should proceed with caution because the track is only clear for one block beyond the signal; after the next signal, the route cannot be passed. Finally, red means a route is impassable.

Depending on the color and the location of the light, trains can see how they are supposed to move. For example, a green light on top, a red light in the middle, and a yellow light on bottom means that the high-speed route is clear for two blocks, the medium-speed route is impassable, and the slow-speed route is clear for one block.