Thursday, September 02, 1999
Acclaim for Middletown 'dynamo'
Traffic official educates about public safety
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — Every time you pull up to an intersection and see synchronized traffic signals in action, you see a piece of Bob Zuehlke at work.
As the city's transportation administrator, he's responsible for designing those signals and keeping them working. And when that 911 call brings help, and the brightly lit streets keep you safe at night — he's had a hand in that, too.
He's well-known locally for his public safety expertise. Now he is enjoying some international celebrity as only the 21st person in the world to receive an education award from the International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA), with about 7,000 members worldwide.
20-year volunteer
For nearly 20 years, Mr. Zuehlke has belonged to the organization, which promotes safety through educational and certification programs for em ployees of governmental organizations and private corporations interested in promoting public safety.
For 15 years, he's spent weekends and most vacations traveling around the country to volunteer his time to teach programs on traffic control, road lighting, and construction zone safety.
That helped earn him the prestigious Robert Llewellyn Education Award from IMSA's Educational Foundation at its annual conference last month in Ontario, Canada.
From point A to B
“Because of Bob's experience and training, he's been able to provide traffic and other services to us that put us in the realm of much larger cities,” Assistant City Manager Susan Davis said. “This award is certainly good recognition for the caliber of work he performs and his commitment to his field. And it brings great distinction to the city of Middletown. We're very proud of him.”
Mr. Zuehlke, 60, said he was “astonished beyond belief in receiving it.”
But it was no surprise to Marilyn Lawrence, of Newark, N.Y.,IMSA executive director.
“Bob certainly deserves it,” Mrs. Lawrence said. “He's really amazing. The mind never stops. He's always coming up with new ways to do things — new ideas. And he's always willing to help. He's done a lot to promote IMSA in the Tristate and internationally ... on a continuing basis. He's a dynamo.”
IMSA works to improve the efficiency, installation, construction and maintenance of public safety equipment and systems by teaching related programs on traffic controls, fire and police alarms, electronic communications, road lighting, work zone traffic control, emergency medical services and other related systems.
IMSA is the only entity to teach such programs, other than Florida vocational schools, said Mr. Zuehlke. He is one of only about 40 people in North America and four in the organization's Tristate section (Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania) who teaches the courses.
“I've taught traffic courses for the Federal Highway Administration, the Canadian government and many other states and cities in North America,” Mr. Zuehlke said. “People ask why I use my vacation to teach others. I love it. I have fun doing this.”
Besides teaching about traffic safety, he has another great love: extreme depth scuba diving through the Cincinnati Diving Center Inc. in Finneytown. He's enjoyed dives all over the world, including Micronesia, Indonesia, the Red Sea, Australia, New Zealand and Alaska. He's also a part-
time teacher at Thomas More College, and instructs University of Cincinnati Graduate School of Engineering students on research.
Still, IMSA is a priority. Founded in 1896 in Brooklyn, N.Y., as the International Association of Fire and Police Telegraph Superintendents, IMSA is the oldest known association if its kind.
A city employee 28 years, Mr. Zuehlke and his staff of four are in charge of the design and maintenance of all traffic control, airport maintenance, communications — including police/fire 911 dispatch center — video security, and street lights and other areas.
It's all serious business.
“If the police and fire departments don't have good communication, the citizens will suffer immediately,” Mr. Zuehlke said. “Keeping people safe and things running smoothly are of the utmost importance,” Mr. Zuehlke said.
“Getting people from point A to point B without an accident, and working to make sure you can pick up your phone and have an officer, firefighter or emergency crew there in minutes — no matter what — well, that's what we're all about.”
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